Growing Pains
by BeckyLadiye
Summary: AU/Book 4/Fourth in Baby Sister Series - Leia and Adam's relationship grows, Edward and Bella get married, a baby is born and the Volturi shows interest in the Quileutes. Edward/Bella, OC/OC
1. Chapter 1

Story Notes:

Welcome back to the Baby Sister Series! Please read _Dreamwalker_, _Rebellion_ and _Turning Point_ or this story will not make much sense. It is an AU storyline that parallels the Twilight saga through the 'eyes' of Leia Cullen, the youngest member of the Cullen family. There is no love triangle and Jacob Black does not imprint on Renesmee. This is probably the last in the series, but I reserve the right to continue it if there are too many loose ends to tie up. Enjoy!

Author's Chapter Notes:

Disclaimer: I don't own anything _Twilight_ related. All Hail Empress SM!

I sat on the bed, my back against the headboard and Adam's head on a pillow nestled in my lap. I stroked his hair as he snored quietly and let my thoughts drift. I had thought that I would miss the space taken up by the king sized bed in my room, but the joy on Adam's face when he'd seen it that last week in June more than made up for the loss of space. He now spent at least four nights out of the week sleeping in my room.

Esme had helped me pick out something simple, nothing as ornate as the bed Edward had bought for Bella. It was a simple wooden platform with a padded headboard that matched the green velvet brocade on my couch. I had let Alice go nuts with the linens, so of course I had ice green Egyptian cotton sheets, a plush down comforter and a massive amount of pillows, most of which were now scattered on the floor. Adam had dove headfirst into the sea of pillows a few hours ago, desperate to get a decent night's sleep. I had just returned from Paris with Alice today and as much as I had missed him, I knew it had been torture for him. He hadn't had a hyperactive sister and a new, fascinating city to distract him.

"The poor boy looked dead on his feet, Carlisle. He's been five days without her and I don't think he's slept a wink." Esme was talking to Carlisle as they darted into the woods for a hunt. I didn't hear any more of their conversation as they ran out of my hearing range. Her words evoked mixed emotions in me. I was sad that he had suffered in my absence, but the concern I heard in Esme's voice was heart-warming. She, of all my family, had warmed the most towards Adam. Not surprising since my mother was the most loving creature on the planet and, in my opinion, Adam was one of the most lovable. Now, if only the rest of my family would stop griping about the smell and get to know him like mom had.

Okay, maybe I wasn't being fair. Alice and Rose were the only ones who weren't making an active effort to get to know him. Emmett had finally talked Adam into a wrestling match. To my relief, neither one of them had tried to rip the other's head off. Instead, they had dragged Jasper into their games. I had finally stopped bolting down the stairs whenever Adam yelped or growled at my brothers. He really could hold his own in a fight. Not to mention he routinely kicked Emmett's butt at video games.

Edward couldn't help but get to know Adam. He was a mind reader. The few times they were together, talk often turned to music or me. Edward never seemed to run out of embarrassing tales to tell Adam about my newborn days. I think Adam was beginning to consider Edward a friend, too. At least my brother treated him with respect, which was more than his own peers did most of the time.

And then there was Dad. Adam walked on eggshells around my father, not out of fear, but out of respect. At least that's what he told me. I had talked to Dad about his 'stern father' attitude around Adam. I had accused him of getting a kick out of scaring my boyfriend. He had denied that vehemently, claiming that he was just acting like any father of a teenage vampire should act. At that point, from the other side of the house, Jasper had jokingly accused him of taking lessons from Charlie Swan. Dad began warming up to Adam after that, but it was definitely a gradual progression.

I was drawn out of my thoughts when my phone vibrated against my thigh, making Adam grumble and roll away from me. The vibration pattern was Alice's so I slipped silently out of the bed and leapt out onto my balcony. Or tried to. I tripped over a pillow and had to catch myself on my hands. I hoped I hadn't left a dent in the floor. I made my way outside a little slower than normal and perched on the railing before I flipped open my phone.

"What's up, Ali?" She was on a long hunting trip with all my siblings, including Edward. She was feeling just guilty enough for keeping me from Adam that she had organized a quick trip as soon as they'd come home so I would have the house mostly to myself when Adam came over. To say I was thrilled that Mom and Dad had taken off too was an understatment. Not that Adam would be doing much more than sleep for several hours. Or so I thought.

"Bella's future just disappeared," Alice said, frustration evident in her tone. I had almost expected her to make a joke about my earlier trip and fall, but she was worried about Bella. I held back a sigh and asked the only question I knew she wanted me to ask.

"When?"

"In one hour and twenty minutes." Ah, so it wasn't Adam and I going to visit her. I wasn't letting him out of my sight again for at least 24 hours and I didn't really want to share him with anyone for most of that time, not even my best friend.

"Did you call her and check?" I asked thoughtfully.

"She said Charlie was having Billy, Jake and Sarah over for the game and dinner," Alice grumbled softly.

"And?" I pushed, knowing that Alice wouldn't ask me to check up on Bella if it was just the Blacks coming over.

"Charlie's working late tonight." Ah, Bella was up to something. Not necessarily a bad thing, but if she was fibbing to Alice, something was up.

"I'll let Adam sleep for another hour and then I'll wake him and we'll go check on her. Call me if the time table shifts," I told her sourly. I hated checking up on Bella. I trusted my best friend, I did. But my brother was right to call her a trouble magnet so I would check on her covertly unless I got the sense that there was a problem. Maybe Adam could shed some light on who was visiting the Swan home and why.

"Can't you just let him sleep and go…" Alice started and I growled at her.

"Don't you dare ask me that, Alice," I snarled softly and heard her sigh.

"I'm sorry, Leia. I know you missed him. Just…call me when you know something okay?"

"Fine, Alice," I said, sure she could hear the exasperation in my tone.

"And you might want to pick up those pillows before you break one of the mirrors," she whispered quickly and then hung up. I grumbled to myself as I tucked my phone away. I made my way, carefully, back into the bed with Adam. He grunted softly and reached for me. I snuggled against his fiery warmth and listened to his heartbeat, ignoring the dull ache in my throat and the tickle of venom on my tongue. The single deer I had found on my short run this morning wasn't going to hold me for long. I began running through wedding plans in my mind, both to distract myself and to prepare for the craziness that would ensue tomorrow night when Alice returned.

"Adam?" I murmured about an hour later, reaching out to touch his face. Usually my hand was cold enough to startle him awake but it had been sandwiched between our bodies for a while now, so I had to coax him a little. "Comeon, love, we have to go spy on Bella."

"W'for?" He murmured back sleepily, only half awake.

"Because Bella invited some of the pack over for milk and cookies and she lied to Alice about it," I said wryly. Adam sat up, pulling me into his lap as he yawned.

"When?" He asked, sounding almost completely awake now.

"In about twenty minutes. Can you check in with the pack? It might save us a trip," I asked as I walked my fingers up his arm. He grabbed my hand and kissed my fingers before he shifted to the edge of the bed and stood up with me still in his arms. He leaned down and touched his lips to mine in a sweet, tender kiss before he turned and placed me gently back on the mattress.

"Give me a sec." And then he strode out onto my balcony to phase. While he conferred with his brothers, I hopped off the bed and began gathering pillows off the floor, walking gingerly until my foot touched each one before I lifted it and tossed it back on the bed. Adam was back before I was done.

"Hey, I would have done that, Leia. I don't want you tripping over a pillow and putting a dent in the floor." I decided not to mention that I'd already attempted that feat. He looked around and I saw that I had missed one pillow, over by the bookcases. He picked it up and came over, popping me lightly on the head with it. I grinned.

"Don't start a pillow fight we can't finish. Or did your pow wow give you insight into Bella's intentions?" I asked, lifting my hands to his face. I felt him grimace.

"No insight. Just more questions. She's asked Sam, Jake, Billy and Dad over. Sarah's going because Jake made the mistake of telling her about the meeting. Bella just said she wanted to talk to them about 'something important'," he said, making air quotes around the last two words. I frowned.

"She's definitely up to something. As much as I hate it, we need to head over there."

"Already told Sam we'd be there. He wasn't happy about it, though. Said Bella has the right to air any complaints about the bloodsuckers without interference," He said bitterly. I snorted.

"One day, he's going to accidently have a kind thought about one of my family. It just might make him self destruct," I said darkly. Adam chuckled and excused himself to go to the bathroom. I pulled on a pair of shoes and a jacket while he was gone. Then I grinned and grabbed my keys.

"We should take my car," I said when he came back into the room. He was quiet for just a split second before agreeing. Most humans wouldn't notice the hesitation, but I did. According to Edward, he hated riding in my car because of the limited leg room. But he would never tell me that, so I decided to reward him for his generosity. "I'll even let you drive."

"Really?" He asked, excitement evident in his voice now. He had only driven my car once since Rose and I had finished it in late July and he was enough of a car junkie to love the way my little roadster handled. I made a mental note to have a set of keys made for him so he could drive it whenever he wanted. I tossed my keys in his general direction, knowing he would catch them easily. Then he grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder as he raced down the stairs.

We pulled up to Bella's house about fifteen minutes later, both of us singing along with the radio at the top of our lungs. I giggled as Adam turned off the car, but sobered quickly when I saw Bella through his eyes, standing on the front steps with her arms crossed and an angry frown on her face. I was standing in front of her in flash, hands held behind my back and head tilted curiously as I tried to look completely innocent.

"What, no warm welcome?" I asked casually. Adam came up behind me and wrapped an arm around my waist, not saying a word as Bella's frown deepened. Nope, she wasn't buying the look.

"I thought you and Adam would be catching up after your trip," she said sharply. Adam yawned at that precise moment and I smiled up at him.

"Adam's been catching up on his sleep, at least. We'll catch up later tonight, barring any major catastrophies," I said before turning my head back towards Bella. "And since Adam says you're planning a tea party for some of his family, I thought we'd invite ourselves over."

"You can't be here, Leia. Sam isn't expecting you to be here and I need to talk to him," Bella said, frustration evident in her tone. I rolled my eyes.

"Of course Sam's expecting me to be here. I'm the damned ambassador to the tribe, so it's my right to be in on an chats between our two parties. Not to mention I'm your best friend. So whatever you're planning, Bella Swan, you might want to fill me in now so I can help you with it," I said sternly. I saw her face crumple in Adam's vision and she sat down abruptly in the steps. Adam and I took up space on either side of her and I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. She leaned against me and took a breath.

"This whole situation is my fault, so it's my place to fix it. I want it to be my wedding present to Edward, one less thing for him to worry about," she said brokenly. I squeezed her gently.

"I'm sure whatever you think is your fault isn't, Bella," I said soothingly. Adam sighed.

"I'm assuming you're talking about renegotiating the treaty?" He asked. I was startled by his insight, but it made sense. What else could Bella want to talk with the tribal elders about?

"You know what has to happen, Leia, for all of us to be safe," Bella said cryptically. Then she looked up at Adam and smiled sadly. "And so you can stop hiding things from Adam. I know how much you hate that."

"Bella..." I started and then trailed off. I couldn't tell her that the worst thing I hid from Adam had nothing to do with the treaty. I prayed that Bella never found out what I had been forced to do in Volterra. Not because she would condemn me for it, but because it would add one more stone to the weight of guilt she carried around needlessly.

"Nothing that happened in Italy was your fault, Bella. You cannot help being human, Bella Swan, and you cannot help who you love. If anyone is to blame for that whole fiasco, it was Edward for leaving you in the first place. Or even Laurent, if you want to villianize someone who deserved it," Adam said, just a hint of irritation in his voice. I stiffened, wondering how Adam had connected our need to renegotiate the treaty to the events in Italy. He sighed.

"You wouldn't tell me why those Italian monsters let you out of their city when you had broken their one cardinal rule. It isn't hard to figure out what they demanded in return for their lenicency. Bella's heartbeat, one way or another," he said in a pained tone. He was looking at Bella and by the way she ducked her head and blushed, he would know his guess was right. He touched her cheek and I heard the tiniest amount of dark humor in his tone when he spoke again. "I can read the clues as well as the next man. I'm not just a big, dumb injun."

"But if you've guessed, the rest of the pack will know, too," Bella said, panic in her tone, her eyes turned to me. I touched my forehead to hers and exhaled. I couldn't dazzle her like Edward, but my breath would have a calming effect at least. I felt her relax.

"They've suspected for a while now, Bella, they just don't have concrete proof that we plan to turn you. Looks like the cat is out of the bag now," I said with grimace.

"I was planning to tell them anyway, so at least now you can't try to talk me out of it," Bella said. Her voice was weak, but I could hear the determination behind her words. Adam wrapped his arms around both of us and pulled us into a hug.

"Well, what's done is done. Now, we just need to decide how we're going to present your argument so they have no choice but to grant an exception to the treaty, at the very least," Adam said thoughtfully. I could feel Bella relax even more and I knew that having one more ally in her fight to become Edward's equal was a relief to her. I made a mental note to kiss Adam senseless later for his acceptance of the situation. I would have done it right then, but we had more pressing matters to attend to.

"Well, let's make it quick because they'll be here in about two minutes." I could hear Jacob's rabbit being followed closely by another vehicle. Bella took a deep breath.

"I've already thought of that. I'll use the same argument I used with the family the night of the vote. If they won't agree to let me be changed by Edward or Carlisle without starting a war, I'll be going to Volterra alone. Whether they change me or kill me, either alternative is preferable to watching my friends and family tear themselves apart."


	2. Chapter 2

After watching through Adam's eyes are the rest of the Quiluetes sat stonefaced through Bellas reasoning for wanting to be changed, I realized that as long as they didn't think the tribe as a whole wasn't in danger, they weren't willing to budge on the subject. They were smart enough to know we weren't going to let Bella run off to Italy alone, so they were willing to call her bluff. So I decided to give them a reason Bella hadn't thought of.

"So, you aren't worried about the Volturi coming to Forks?" I asked quietly when Bella stopped talking. I could tell she was close to tears. Sarah had already shed a few tears, but she had said nothing. That was unusual for Sarah, so no doubt she'd been allowed to come to this meeting with the understanding that she would keep quiet.

"Why should we worry about a vampire police force? They know nothing of us and we trust that you will hold to the treaty and not mention us to them." Billy Black said, his tone implying that their 'trust' was a tenuous thing. I tilted my head at him.

"We would never willingly betray your secrets. But what happens when they drag one of us to Aro and he takes a peek at our thoughts? Bella is the only person we know of to be immune to his talent."

"You think they will attack us?" Sam asked, his stoic expression beginning to change to worry. I nodded curtly and then explained.

"You tell tales of the Cold Ones to your children, thinly disguised as tribal legend. Not to mention the entire town knows about your distrust of the Cullen Family. Perhaps you think the modern world's disbelief in the supernatural is enough to keep the truth buried in the fairy tales, but it only takes one who looks too closely," I said, gesturing at Bella. "That threat of exposure is exactly what the Volturi are compelled to eradicate. Bella is only alive because she keeps our secrets as her own and because they think she will soon be one of us. You will not be so fortunate."

"We can handle a few vampires." Jacob said gruffly, pulling Sarah against his side. She clutched his shirt and looked like she wanted to say something, but she refrained. Instead she buried her face in his shirt. I snorted softly.

"Can you? Put your pride aside and consider two dozen fighters at least as experienced as Jasper coming not only at you but at your women and children. Make no mistake, everyone who knows the truth will face a Volturi hit squad. That includes your elders and your imprints." I hissed the last part, softly enough that Sarah and Bella wouldn't pick up on it, but Sam, Adam and Jacob did. The way Billy Black tensed, I thought he might have picked up on my words as well.

The Quileutes made their excuses fairly quickly after that with a promise to have an answer for us before Edward and Bella's wedding. Sarah stepped forward to hug Bella as they left, whispering her best wishes for both the wedding and her people's decision about Bella's change. Adam spoke quietly with his father, promising to be home tomorrow night for dinner. David Talldeer surprised me, and from the looks on Sam and Jacob's faces them as well, when he reached out and touched my shoulder.

"It's good to see you again, Leia. Make sure he gets some sleep tonight, could you?" He asked hesitantly. I gave him a warm smile and nodded.

"It's my top priority right now, Mr. Talldeer, I promise." I said sincerely. He gave me a curt nod and then was out the door and gone. Jacob watched him go with wide eyes and Sam was muttering explicatives under his breath. Billy just watched his friend leave with a stoic expression. Sarah wore a huge smile as she gave her brother, and then me, a hug before Jacob took her hand and they all followed David out. I waited until their cars were well out of range before I turned to Adam and Bella.

"Well, that went better than I expected," I said with a bright smile. Through Bella's eyes, I saw Adam's cautiously hopeful expression. Adam had his eyes on me, so I reached out and cupped Bella's face in my hands. I felt the dampness of recently shed tears, but she wore a half smile.

"Yes, but what are we going to tell your family, Leia? Edward will go crazy if he finds out what I've done. Especially if they decide against us." Bella sighed dejectedly, her smile slipping. I patted her cheek and grinned.

"You should have thought of that before you called the pow wow, Bells. No turning back now. I texted Alice that it was just a friendly gathering and that you didn't know Charlie had to work late but she's going to be expecting a call from me soon or I don't doubt both she and Edward will be back before morning. Do you want me to try and keep it from them?" I asked gently. She was still for a moment and then she shook her head.

"This communication thing has to work both ways. He's going to be upset that I went behind his back with this anyway. No need to make it worse by getting you involved. Just tell Alice we'll discuss it when they get home tomorrow afternoon. If they come home early for this, you just remind her how guilty I've been feeling for not asking Jessica Stanley to be one of my bridesmaids." Bella's threat made me giggle.

"Not to worry. Once Adam and I leave, she'll be able to see you again and both of them will relax, I promise." And with that, Bella practically shoved Adam and I out the door with a shouted farewell. Adam helped me into the car and chuckled softly as he pulled away from Bella's.

The next evening

"Baby love, my baby love, been missin' ya, miss kissin' ya..." I sang along to the music coming from the docked ipod as I danced around my room. Adam had left an hour ago to go home for dinner and Edward was over at Bella's. The rest of the family were doing random things around the house, so I was enjoying the time to myself as it were. Not that I didn't miss Adam, but today had been tense and I needed to gather my thoughts.

Needless to say, the family was horrified that Bella had felt the need to approach the Quileutes about the treaty and her change. Carlisle had given Bella a stern lecture about taking the blame for things beyond her control. It was the first time that Bella had ever seen Carlisle truly riled up. Not even Edward's anger over the whole situation had compared to my father's tonight. I think that had shaken Bella up enough that she might actually take his words to heart.

In the end, however, despite the anger over her actions, everyone had been relieved. Bella's bold move had taken a tough decision out of our hands. Telling the Quileutes of the plan to change Bella had been inevitable. Even if we moved away before the deed was done, she was Charlie's daughter and Charlie was good friends with many of the tribe. When she never came home, they would know. So at least we weren't dancing around the subject any longer. We could only pray that an agreement could be made. We just had to wait.

"I hate waiting," I muttered between songs and heard a snort of amusement from Jasper.

"You know, for a creature with a hypothetically eternal lifespan you have an incredible lack of patience." My brother said with a chuckle. He was playing video games with Rosalie while Emmett was down in the basement upgrading his laptop with some technology that had yet to be introduced to the general public. We were major stockholders with a small IT company due to Alice's predictions that it would produce some exciting technology in the next few years.

"Well, as you all like pointing out, I'm new to the game so I can't be expected to grasp the concept of 'all the time in the world' yet," I snarked back at him. I swear I could hear Rose's eyes rolling. I giggled and then began singing along with another song. This time everyone in the house joined in. Carlisle even came out of his study to dance around the room with me. He spun me around in time with the chorus to 'Hold On, I'm Coming'.

"I don't think I've heard this particular recording of this song." Carlisle said after the song changed. He swung me up into his arms and twirled me around the room leisurely. I snuggled against his chest with a happy sigh.

"I picked it up at the art festival Esme took me too in Seattle. There was this group of singers from UW there. They're really good." I said quietly. Carlisle nodded in agreement. I remembered that outing with a great deal of fondness. Esme had known I would love the sights and sounds at the festival in the park. There had been artists of all kinds, both in physical mediums and performance arts. I had loved this particular group of singers and also a troupe of acrobats. I had also found the perfect wedding gift for Edward and Bella. It was a small watercolor painting that looked like a perfect replica of their meadow.

"Yes, yes they are," he murmured as he put me back on my feet and dropped a kiss on my forehead. I sighed happily again, enjoying the affectionate gesture. My father had been preoccupied lately and he hadn't kept me company in such a spontaneous manner in while. As if he could read my mind, he sighed and hugged me.

"I've got to go to work in a few minutes but what say we take in a ballet in Seattle again the weekend after the wedding? We can even make it a double date. You and Adam, and me and your mother," he said. I nodded happily, eager to spend time with not only Adam but also my parents. Dad pulled my hand to his cheek so I could feel his wide smile. Then he kissed my forehead again and left to finish getting ready for work.

"Speaking of the wedding…" Alice perked up from her closet. I tilted my head, waiting for her to elaborate. "Final fittings next Friday will be perfect. The cake is going to be a disaster if one of us doesn't call and remind the bakery that the wedding is the 13th, not the 15th. The florist is going to have trouble finding enough orange blossom for the arrangements on the stairs. Overall, nothing too bad."

I held back a sigh of relief. Alice had been absolutely frantic before we'd gone to Paris, worried about the wedding plans since she couldn't see everything because at least one member of the pack would be attending, not to mention Adam being in and out of the house on a regular basis. The trip to Paris seemed to calm her down quite a bit. Massive amounts of shopping often had that effect on Alice. Well, massive amounts of shopping and Jasper, but Jasper didn't usually go shopping unless he lost a bet with Emmett.

"We're having a bachelorette party next Wednesday night at Bella's," I announced and was surprised to hear Alice gasp. I grinned, deciding it was nice to be able to surprise Alice on occasion.

"I thought Bella didn't want a party. What happened to doing everything the way Bella wants it done?" Rose asked from the garage. Her tone was snarky but at least she'd used Bella's name, which was a step up from 'the human' or 'that girl'. I grinned.

"I promised to make sure the wedding didn't turn into a circus. I never said I wouldn't do my duty as best friend and maid of honor by throwing her a party," I said smugly. I heard Alice squeal in delight and immediately begin talking about plans for this, that and the other. I sighed softly, automatically trying to adjust my own plans to match with hers. Then I heard Jasper very quietly tell Alice to check with me on the plans.

"Oh, sorry, Leia. What were you planning? Maybe I should just let you handle it. I've got my hands full with the wedding," she said, sounding unconcerned. I felt a little guilty that Jasper had picked up enough negative emotions from me to say something to Alice, but I was more relieved. I wanted to keep the party simple and casual. After the next few days of hardcore wedding planning, we would all enjoy a little downtime.

"Just pizza for the humans, presents and the usual bridal shower games. Maybe do some mini makeovers," I said this with a mischievous grin, knowing exactly what Bella would think about that. But Alice squealed again, so I knew the night would turn out great. In an instant both of my sisters and mom were in my room, offering ideas and their help to get things together. I grinned, thinking to myself that this was one of the best ideas I'd ever had.

Wednesday evening

"Okay, this was the worst idea I've ever had." I said this after throwing up a slice of pizza and four ounces of soda. I wanted to kill Lauren Mallory. Jessica had whispered to Angela at the beginning of the night that Lauren was sure I had an eating disorder. Esme and Bella had observed them watching me all night, Jessica with avid curiosity and Angela with concern. And so I had been forced to eat, not just a bite or two, but enough to convince Angela and Jessica that I wasn't anorexic.

"I'm actually surprised this is the first time you've been forced to eat something, Lei. I'm sure it won't be the last," Rose said wryly, her strong hands holding my hair back. I took the water bottle that Alice held out and rinsed my mouth. Esme had gone home a little earlier than the rest of us to give the 'younger' girls more of a chance to cut loose or she would no doubt have been kneeling on the ground just inside the treeline behind the Swan residence with me. Jessica and Angela had left an hour ago and Jacob had picked up Sarah about ten minutes ago.

"That's comforting, Rose. Thanks," I said sarcastically once I could no longer taste the rancid, venom laced mozzarella cheese. She let go of my hair and rubbed my back.

"It's not meant to be comforting. It's part of the charade and it's something you should be prepared to do again," she said. The words might have been harsh, but her tone was gentle and I sighed.

"Yeah, I know. We should get back before Bella feels the need to clean up the whole house before Charlie gets home. It was her party, so I want to do that for her," I said, jumping to my feet. I sensed Rosalie's hesitation and patted her arm. "Go on home, Rose. We'll see you in a few, okay?"

"It's not that I don't want to help, truly. I need to get started on the new gear shift for Emmett's jeep and…" I held up my hand to cut her off.

"Rose, it's okay. Really. Get going before I assign you to garbage detail," I said teasingly. Almost instantly, her presence was gone, leaving only a hint of her scent behind. Alice and I walked back to the house hand in hand.

"I'm so glad she came tonight, but I really wish she stop being so…so…Rose," I muttered. Alice pulled me close and hugged me against her side.

"You know she has her reasons for resenting Bella's decision. She isn't happy in this life, Leia, and she doesn't understand how anyone could choose it over humanity. I know she's being difficult now, but once Bella is officially part of the family I think she'll warm up."

"I hope so, Ali. Otherwise it's going to be an uncomfortable eternity," I said with a grimace. Then we were at the house and we dashed through the kitchen door to find Bella scraping plates into the trash. She looked up guiltily as Alice took the plate from her hand.

"I just wanted to help," Bella said quietly. I snorted and pointed towards the living room. She sighed and moved out of the kitchen.

"And don't you dare start picking up in there!" I shouted when I heard the sound of an aluminum can being picked up. I heard her clench the can in her hand and then it plunked back onto the coffee table. Alice snickered softly as she zipped around the kitchen. I followed Bella into the living room and made her sit and be my eyes while I cleaned.

"Was it truly awful? The food, I mean," Bella asked hesitantly as I tossed away trash and wiped down the coffee table. I shuddered.

"On my list of top ten things to avoid at all costs, eating human food ranks about an eight. Throwing it back up would be somewhere in the top three," I said with a grimace. Bella reached out and touched my arm. When she opened her mouth, I put my finger over her lips.

"I swear, Bells, if you apologize for that I'll let Alice pack for your honeymoon."

"I wasn't!" she exclaimed, looking a little sheepish. "I was just going to say how much of a bitch Lauren Mallory is for spreading that rumor about you."

"Oh, um...yeah. She is. Sorry Bella." Now it was me apologizing. How ironic. Bella sighed and turned her attention to the dining room table so I could clear the pizza boxes. It only took a few more minutes and everything was in order. Alice called out that she was taking the trash out to the bins at the road.

"Stupid, perfect vampires," I heard Bella mutter as she stepped into the kitchen to survey Alice's handiwork. Every surface in the kitchen gleamed.

"Watch the insults, Swan, or I'll make you watch while I clean the rest of the house," I said with a waggle of my eyebrows. Bella snorted softly and rolled her eyes.

"Like that's a deterent. Oh please, don't scrub the bathroom tile!" she said in mock horror. I giggled and then paused, listening.

"Charlie's on his way home. Do you think he'll want any pizza? I think there were a few pieces left," I said, gesturing towards the fridge. Bella shrugged.

"Emily and Sue Clearwater were cooking for the game tonight, so there was probably enough to feed an army. Not only will he complain about being stuffed, he'll have at least one container of leftovers with him."

"I don't know. Adam alone can eat enough to feed that army you mentioned all by his lonesome. Esme loves it because her weekly visits to the grocery store aren't just for show anymore. She's on a first name basis with the butcher," I said with another giggle. Unlike Bella, who usually insisted on cooking her own meals or grabbing cereal when she was over, Adam was happy to be mom's guinea pig. Esme knew her way around the kitchen, but before Adam, she had only truly perfected one recipe over the years. We always took her signature oatmeal raisin cookies to the various school bake sales and hospital charity events we were obligated to over the years.

I heard the cruiser pull up in front of the house and then I heard Alice greet Charlie with a cheerful, "Hi, Charlie! How was the game?" He started talking about baseball as Alice walked him into the house. He came into the kitchen and put a foil covered plate on the counter.

"Hey, Bells, Leia. God, I'm stuffed. Did you girls have fun?"

I just knew Bella was smirking at me but I didn't bother to borrow Charlie's vision to check. Instead I picked up the plate Charlie had set down and headed to the fridge with it while Bella gave Charlie an edited version of our party. I giggled when she mentioned playing games and saw Charlie blush. He was an observant man and would no doubt have some idea of the kinds of games that might be played at a bachelorette party. He reached up to rub the back of his neck.

"So, did you get any presents that you aren't embarrassed to show your old man?" he asked with a nervous laugh. Alice and I giggled, knowing that there were only two gifts out of a dozen that Bella would be comfortable showing Charlie. Bella rushed to her room to find one of those to show him.

"Charlie, don't forget we have a fitting Friday morning. You really don't mind coming by the house?" Alice asked from her perch on the kitchen counter. Charlie walked by her on his way to the door.

"You know I don't mind, Alice. Adam mentioned that your mom was cooking breakfast for us, so I'll happily suffer through a fitting for the sake of breakfast." I couldn't see it, but I heard the grin in his voice. Alice huffed softly, no doubt offended that Charlie had referred to the fitting as torture. I giggled.

"Like father, like daughter," I murmured too low and fast for Charlie to hear. Then I stepped to the side as Charlie moved towards the door. I was surprised when he wrapped his arm awkwardly around my shoulders and pulled me into a brief hug. I gently wrapped my arm around his waist and squeezed back. No doubt he saw the surprise on my face as he pulled back. He chuckled softly.

"That's from Adam. And from me. Thank you, and you too, Alice, for being such good friends for Bella," he said sincerely. Charlie was usually a man of few words, so his comment touched me. I wanted to kiss his cheek, but I didn't want my cold lips to startle him. To my surprise, Alice beat me to it, leaning up on tip toe to kiss our best friend's father.

"And you are a wonderful father," Alice said gently. She touched my shoulder and I saw Charlie blush. I grinned and followed Alice's lead. I kissed his cheek as well.

"Love you, Charlie. Bella is a lucky girl to have you for a father," I said softly. His blush deepened. It was true. I had spent a lot of time in his home in the last six months and he treated me the same as he treated his own daughter. I knew Bella was standing at the bottom of the stairs now and I heard a sniffle. I pulled away from Charlie and Bella replaced me, hugging her father tightly in what I knew was a rare display of affection. It reminded me that in less than a week, Bella would be married and her time with Charlie before her change would be extremely limited. My heart ached for her.

"Bella, we're going to go. We'll see you tomorrow," Alice said quietly and then we slipped out of the house and left father and daughter alone. I knew the moment wouldn't last long so we wanted to give them time alone. But I couldn't help but hear them as we drove away.

"Love you, daddy," Bella said, her voice muffled by the shirt she had her face buried in.

"Love you, too, Bells."


	3. Chapter 3

Random addition of Disclaimer: Don't own it, I just play here. More's the pity, but all hail the Empress of Twilight, Stephanie Meyer, for giving us the playground!

"Come play something with me, Leia." Edward's quiet request brought me out of my reading. I was sitting on my bed with the Braille version of _The Dragonriders of Pern_. Adam was asleep beside me, his head resting on the pillow next to my hip and his hand curled loosely around my knee. I gently moved his hand from my leg and slipped out of the bed.

_My guitar or did you want to do some Heart and Soul?_ I thought this at him playfully. I heard his quiet chuckle as I grabbed my guitar from it's case and made my way down the stairs. All the married couples in the family were out hunting so it was only Edward and I, and of course Adam, at the house. Bella was having dinner in Port Angeles with her mother and Phil so I thought Edward might enjoy some time alone. Obviously I was mistaken.

"If I can't be with Bella, your company is much preferable to solitude," he assured me. That comment required a proper response so I stopped to kiss his cheek, my hand on his face so I could read his expression. He seemed relaxed and content and there was a slight smile on his lips. With the wedding in two days you might expect most bridegrooms to be nervous. That didn't seem to be the case with Edward. At least not about the ceremony itself since it was what he had wanted since the moment he admitted to himself that he loved Bella. After the ceremony was a whole different story, but I was careful not to think about that.

"Well you know I will never turn down a chance to have you all to myself," I said, only half teasing. I treasured every second in my brother's presence and these rare times when it was just us were like drops of pure gold. I piroheutted away from him and set myself down on the arm of the couch nearest his piano. I began tuning my guitar as Edward played the cooresponding notes for me.

"We aren't alone. Adam's upstairs." Edward pointed out as I strummed a perfectly tuned chord. I tilted my head, listening to my mate's quiet snores.

"It will take a freight train coming through to wake him up right now. We are as good as alone," I said with a smirk. Adam claimed that in our bed, he could sleep through just about anything. It made me proud that he considered my room a safe zone, despite the animosity some of my family showed him on a daily basis.

"You don't mind me stealing you away from him?" Edward asked almost hesitantly. I rolled my eyes.

_My mate isn't nearly as entertaining as yours during naptime. Besides, when's the next chance I'll have to spend time with you? The wedding is in two days and you'll be off on the honeymoon for weeks according to Alice. After that, nothing is certain. _I thought at him and he reached over to put his hand on my arm.

"Okay." It was all he said but his tone was happy so I smiled. Then he started playing _Esme's Favorite _and I began to strum the accompaniment we had composed together. It was fairly simple, but it thrilled me to have this kind of connection to Edward's music. My lessons with Edward had been few and far between, but I had picked things up fairly quickly. Vampire brain and all that.

The next two hours were spent playing together, mostly me playing and Edward improvising on the piano along with me. Edward was scribing out something new we'd come up with when my phone rang upstairs. I flew up to get it, stopping for a split second to check on Adam. He was still snoring away as I opened my phone.

"Hello?" I asked cautiously as the ring was my generic one, meaning I didn't have the caller's information stored in my phone.

"Leia? It's David Talldeer." I blinked in shock and then my brow furrowed with worry. I knew it was after midnight and couldn't think of a reason for Adam's father to be calling unless there was some kind of crisis.

"Mr. Talldeer...is everything alright? Did you need to talk to Adam?" I managed to keep the fear out of my voice, but Edward was suddenly there by my side. I heard David clear his throat and the gentle swish of hair brushing the receiver. He was shaking his head in denial even before he spoke.

"No, actually, I'm calling to talk with you. It's about the treaty. Do you think you could come to Billy Black's place in the morning to discuss...things?" His tone was hesitant. I was torn between trepidation and excitement. They were inviting us onto the reservation, no doubt because it put us on their turf. Even so, it showed willingness to change the terms of the treaty and that was a very good thing. I put out my hand and Edward caught it in his own.

"We would be honored to meet with you. Which members of my family will be allowed at the meeting?" I asked, sure that the Quileutes would limit our presence on their lands, not only for the safety of the people but as another tactic to put things in their favor at the meeting. I wasn't prepared to argue with them. We were asking for a huge concession.

"We ask that only Dr. Cullen, yourself and Edward come. Also, Bella needs to be there." The last request was delivered as almost an afterthought. Edward's hand nearly crushed mine. I could almost sense his need to protest but I shook my head violently at him.

_It all starts and ends with Bella, Edward. They need to see that she's okay with this, that its her choice and not something she's been forced into doing. She took a huge risk by approaching the Quileutes about this while we were still trying to decide how to force them to meet with us. She has to be at the meeting. _I thought before he could grab the phone out of my hand or something equally stupid. He didn't relax, but he didn't make any protest.

"Bella and Charlie are coming over in the morning at ten for fittings and breakfast, then there will be the craziness before the rehearsal. Can we make it early?" I asked, knowing that Alice would have a meltdown if her plans were rearranged. Not that it would matter, honestly. This was more important than making sure Bella hadn't gained five pounds in the ten days since she'd last tried on the dress. Fat chance of that, no pun intended. Edward and I both knew she wasn't eating nearly enough due to pre-wedding jitters, even with both of us nagging her about it every day.

"Is eight o'clock early enough?" he asked. Edward murmured that it depended on how long they planned to keep us there.

"You would know better than I could how long it will take the counsel to come to a decision, Mr. Talldeer." I said as politely as I could. He sighed on the other end of the line.

"I suppose. I don't think it will take long once Bella's has her say and we confirm a few things. Hopefully we can come to an agreement in time for Bella to make her fitting," he stated.

"Alright. We'll be there at eight o'clock then. Adam can catch a ride home with us."

"Thank you, Leia. And just so you know, Adam considers your house more of a home than here these days." David's gentle tone didn't carry any bitterness, but there was a sadness that tugged at my heart.

"He will always consider La Push home, Mr. Talldeer. It's where his family is," I said soothingly.

"Leia, you are as much a part of his family as we are, now. He talks about your brothers with more fondness than most of his packmates. I hope," he hesitated a moment before continuing. "I hope your family can accept him as part of your lives on a permanent basis."

"Of course they can. He's my mate." I said that without hesitation, responding to the hint of pain I heard in his voice. I didn't quite understand what brought on this line of conversation but it worried me that David was trying to reassure himself that Adam was welcome in our home. It made me wary of how exactly Adam would fit into the new treaty negotiations. Edward squeezed my hand, obviously understanding my trepidation.

"Good, good. Well, I'd say goodnight but since you don't...you don't sleep, I'll just say see you in the morning."

After I hung up with David, Edward tugged me back downstairs and we called Carlisle's phone to let him know about the morning meeting. Dad sounded excited about it and I heard the rest of the family demanding to know what was going on in the background. Alice took the phone from Dad to talk to Edward.

"Bella will be home in ten minutes, Edward. She's a little emotional after the evening spent with her mom, so she'll need a little TLC." I felt Edward tense up beside me. I knew he hated the reminder that Bella was essentially telling her mother goodbye this weekend. I reached over and found his hand, squeezing it lightly in an attempt to comfort him as he had me only moments before. He hung up with Alice and I saw my face in his vision when he looked down at me. He reached out and tugged one of my pigtails.

"I had a good time tonight, Leia. Thank you for spending time with me." His words warmed me and I tiptoed to kiss his cheek.

"Ditto, big brother. Now go on. I know you want to be there for her. Give her my love." I told him. He wasted no time then, flashing out the door.

"Pick us up at seven thirty," he said as he took off at vampire speed through the forest. I took my guitar and made my way back upstairs to sit beside my sleeping mate, my mind awhirl with the possibilities for tomorrow's meeting. I buried my fingers in the soft fall of his hair and prayed that my suspicions about how the new treaty would affect Adam were unfounded. I didn't want him to lose his home because he had been forced into an unbreakable bond with a bloodsucker.

"God, I love you so much. I don't want to be the cause of your pain," I whispered as I leaned over his sleeping form. I didn't dare touch his skin for fear I'd wake him, so I settled for a kiss on his hair. I was delighted when he reached for me in his sleep, his stong arm wrapping around my waist and pulling me on top of him. I nuzzled into his chest with a sigh of contentment, letting his steady heartbeat soothe me as I waited for the dawn.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Okay, this chapter is a POV shift, just to give you a taste of Edward and Bella, a little Leia and Adam mingled in. There's a little fluff, a wee bit of drama and a smidge of angst. Enjoy!

EPOV

Bella murmured something about snow and shuddered in her sleep. I allowed myself a sigh of regret as I eased her away from my bare chest and wrapped her securely in her grandmother's quilt. As the wedding approached, and with it the honeymoon, Bella and I found ourselves engaging in what she liked to call 'dress rehearsal'. For the honeymoon, not the wedding. Not that things ever progessed as far as Bella would have liked. If I was being honest, they hadn't progressed as far as I would have liked either. But in the end, we both wanted to wait until after the wedding so we both learned to practice a little restraint when things got hot, relatively speaking, and heavy. To both my shame and relief, lately Bella was the one who usually pulled away first.

"...Edward...oranges..." Bella's nighttime ramblings often caught me off guard and my imagination tended to run amuck. I couldn't stop from picturing Bella, in a dark blue swimsuit, laid out in the sun on Isle Esme, eating orange slices. Then the vision shifted and I was wearing said orange slices and Bella was leaning over me too...ugh! I pushed aside those thoughts and began running through the composition that Leia and I had worked on earlier this morning. Of course, thinking of this morning quickly shifted my attention back to the meeting with the Quileutes and my erotic daydreams didn't stand a chance.

I pulled Bella, quilt and all, into my arms and she snuggled against my chest like a kitten. I stroked her hair and tried to come up with a valid reason why she shouldn't attend the meeting. I knew Leia was right. Bella needed to be there. Carlisle had echoed Leia's sentiment but that didn't make me any happier about the idea of Bella being in a room full of werewolves and vampires while we tried to convince them that changing Bella, which was in their eyes the equivalent of murder, was an acceptable exception to our previous agreement. Peace with the Quileutes had always been precarious and I knew we were pushing their limits. I hoped for all our sakes that things didn't escalate into violence.

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I reached down to pull it out.

"Does she need me to come help her get dressed in the morning?" Alice asked nervously. I snorted softly.

"Why would she need your help, Alice? She'll be at the house later for you to poke and prod."

"But shouldn't she look nice? I mean, to make a good impression?" Alice sounded unsure of herself, an oddity for my darling psychic sister. Anything to do with the wolves made her anxious. And since one of them practically lived in our baby sister's bedroom, Alice was anxious alot lately.

"Alice, she doesn't need to be trussed up like a virgin sacrifice. She'll be nervous enough as it is. Let her wear something comfortable." I'm not sure I was able to keep the exasperation out of my tone because Alice sighed.

"Okay, fine, but...tell her I'm thinking about her, okay. And try to talk yourself out of there pretty quickly. Charlie might be suspicious if he gets here before you do."

"The treaty takes precedence over turning the Swans into pincushions today, Alice. I trust you and Esme can distract Charlie if our little pow wow runs long. But I promise to try and get us out of there on time." I added the last in an attempt to stall the complaint I knew was coming. I was successful because all she did was hrumph quietly and disconnect the call. I rolled my eyes a bit as I tucked my phone back into my pocket. The next few hours were fairly quiet as I held my beloved against my silent heart.

I reluctantly woke Bella with the sun, knowing she needed time for a lengthy human moment before Leia and Adam arrived. She responded to my kiss with delightful fervor, for once seeming to forget her ridiculous self-consciousness about 'morning breath'.

"Hmmm...I love you." I captured her first words of the morning with my mouth and stroked her cheek tenderly.

"And I love you. Charlie left early to get some work done at the station before the fitting. How are you feeling?" I asked. She had been in tears when I'd come through her window the night before, Evidently her mother had been trying to get Bella to commit to Thanksgiving or Christmas in Florida and Bella had been forced to make excuses for us. It was the first time she had expressed more than fleeting sorrow over the coming loss of her family. She had allowed me to comfort her but had asked that I not wallow in guilt over her change because of it. I had reluctantly agreed and was still struggling to keep my word.

"I'm okay. A little anxious about the meeting, I suppose. A little excited too." She said, completely ignoring the topic of her mother. I decided not to press her about it.

"Excited?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Yes, excited to finally have this issue resolved. I don't want that shadow hanging over our wedding or our honeymoon. No matter the outcome, we'll finally have some closure." She sighed, not quite a happy sound but a relieved one at the very least. Then she pulled out of my arms and gathered her bathtime supplies. She paused in the doorway.

"What is it, love?" I asked, wondering why she was hesitating. She sighed.

"Only one more night in this house, one more night pretending I don't need you in my arms every second of every day of my life. I'll miss Charlie, I'll miss Renee, I'll even miss all my human friends and the people down on the rez. But being with you forever...it's worth everything."

She turned to look at me and the love shining in her eyes drove the useless air from my lungs in a gasp of pure amazement. Then she gave me a small, shy smile and skipped off to the bathroom, leaving me speechless. I was still sitting on the bed, lost in my own joy and longing, when Leia and Adam let themselves in downstairs. I blinked and moved out of the room, pulling my shirt over my head on the way down the stairs.

"Honey, we're home!" Leia announced cheerfully. I stopped in the kitchen doorway and watched her pull bagels and fruit out of a bag from the Triftway. Adam was perched on the counter, munching on an apple as he kicked gently at the yellow cabinets under his heels. He had his eyes on the bag in Leia's hands so she didn't have to hesitate while setting out Bella's breakfast. He reached without looking into the drainer beside the sink and handed her a plate. She smiled up at him in thanks and he reached out to stroke her cheek in return.

_She can't always see it when I smile back, so I have to do something so she knows I appreciate it. _Adam's thoughts were directed at me, defending his actions as if worried I would protest him showing affection for my sister. I chuckled softly and shook my head.

"You're early." I said. Leia deftly sliced open a bagel and smeared it with cream cheese before she shrugged.

"Alice said Bella would be in the shower by 6:30. We thought we'd come keep you company while she got ready. And get some breakfast for the warm bloods." She said, handing Adam the bagel. He was done with the apple so he launched the core at the garbage can in the corner. He had half the bagel in his mouth before the core dropped neatly into the garbage, his aim dead center. I rolled my eyes.

"Aren't we having breakfast in a few hours?" I asked, gesturing at the amount of food lying on the counter. Adam polished off the rest of the bagel in two bites and licked his lips before grinning at me.

"It was this or raid Esme's kitchen and she threatened to skin me if I touched anything in the fridge before brunch. That's in four hours. I need my morning pick me up."

"Ah, whatever. I don't mind, really." I said, catching Adam's gaze for a moment and gesturing towards Leia. She didn't think anything of it, but Adam picked up on my double meaning. I really didn't mind his little gestures of affection for Leia. He always kept his touches tender and brief in my presence and for that I truly grateful. If he attempted anything more risque, though, he might have a few bald patches the next time he phased.

"Thanks." Adam said, his tone sarcastic but his expression was truly grateful. Leia patted his leg and turned towards me.

"So, do we have a strategy for today? Are we just going to give them whatever they want or do we have any leverage for negotiations?" She asked seriously. I sighed, looking at Adam.

"I don't suppose you have any idea what happened at the council session last night?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"I phased this morning and took a quick run. Neither Sam or Jake has phased since last night and they were the only ones at the meeting. I can probably make some educated guesses, but they'd still be guesses," he said honestly. I grimaced a little and nodded.

"Well, speculate away. Any insight is better than none." Adam started thinking as he found a dishtowel to wipe his fingers on. I listened to his thoughts as he leaned across to help Leia put all but one of the bagels back in the bag, but waited for him to speak aloud.

"I think Leia's little speech the other day really got them thinking. To allow Bella's change is like compromising everything they believe in. But to invite the destruction of our tribe by denying her request, and in essence the Volturi's demands, would be crazy. They have to decide if it is more important to save Bella from a fate that she has chosen and desires greatly for herself; or to ensure the safety of the tribe. I don't really think they have a choice, but I don't see them giving up without an intense debate."

"Debate I can handle. I just don't want any physical violence to break out; especially not with Bella present. Are any of your younger packmates going to be at the meeting?" I asked, desperate to ensure Bella's safety. Adam's grimace told me what I needed to know, but he verbalized it for Leia's sake.

"All but two of the pack will be there. Seth and Collin will be patrolling the border. They may be the youngest but they aren't the most volatile by any means. I think Sam can keep everyone under control, though. He might not be your biggest fan, but he knows the importance of keeping the peace."

"I certainly hope so, Adam, because if any one of them even feints in Bella's direction, we're leaving. And if any one of them starts a fight with Bella in the room, I will be forced to finish it," I said harshly. Adam nodded solemnly.

_If it comes to that, you know I'll get your back. Not even Sam can call me off is Leia's in danger. _Adam's thoughts made me nod thoughtfully. Leia just sighed.

"Stop being morbid. We're going in there to ask a huge concession so we'll be on our best behavior. None of the pack would be stupid enough to start something." She said, moving to put a plate of strawberries and bagels on the table. I shifted to the fridge so I could pour Bella a glass of juice. Adam grabbed Leia around the hips and pulled her back against him. It was meant to be a protective gesture, not a suggestive one.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean they won't try to provoke one of you into starting something. They know the elders would refuse to renegotiate if the meeting turns into a fight." _In fact, they're hoping the elders will just order us to kill you all and be done with it. _I saw Adam cringe as he thought the last part, and his eyes found mine. He hadn't meant for me to hear that thought, but I had. And I realized just how much I had in common with Adam Talldeer. He had pictured his life without Leia, just briefly, and the amount of grief he felt in that split second didn't require Jasper's gift to understand. Because I had felt it myself once, the day I thought Bella had died.

"Don't worry, little brother. It will take a lot more than a few angry wolf cubs to make me lose my temper and Carlisle has enough control for the rest of us." I tried my best to reassure him and myself. His return grin was shocked and thankful, his thoughts reflecting his gratitude that I was willing to name him as part of the family. Little did he know what Leia and I suspected. By the end of the day, we might be the only official family he had left.

_Thank you, Edward. For accepting him. _Leia's thoughts were colored with brilliant joy. I knew how on edge she was whenever Adam was around the rest of our family. She didn't really fear our rejection of Adam so much as she feared our rejection of the pair of them. Over the last weeks, she had grown to love Adam as much as any vampire can love their mate. Which meant if she had to make the choice between the family and Adam, she would choose Adam. What she didn't realize was that the family would never force her to make that choice.

'_For you, baby sister, anything,'_ I signed. Then I laughed. _'You really are a spoiled brat, aren't you?'_

Leia's giggles greeted Bella as she came down the stairs. Her smile lit up the kitchen.

"Okay, what'd I miss? Ooh, strawberries!"


	5. Chapter 5

I snarled and swiped at the nearest tree in my anger. It shuddered and I heard the root system groan as it pulled halfway out of the ground. Edward had pulled over five minutes ago to my unspoken request and I found myself in a familiar copse of trees well away from the road raging against the new 'treaty'. It was anger I hadn't dared show at the meeting. Edward had warned me that they were hoping for a display of anger or violence. Anything to give them cause to reconsider signing a new agreement with the resident bloodsuckers. One of the elders had even suggested that Bella sign the treaty in her own blood to prove that we could be around a bleeding human without turning savage. Luckily, that idea had been shot down by every other party present. If it hadn't been, Edward would have given them the display they'd been hoping for and then some.

"Leia." Adam's gentle voice came to me as he moved through the trees towards me. He was still a ways off, limited to a human pace because he hadn't phased. I spun through the trees, taking a few branches with me as I moved towards him. I stopped a few feet away and let him come to me. He wrapped me up in his arms and murmured soft apologies in my ear. I slapped lightly at his chest.

"Don't you dare apologize to me, Adam Talldeer. You are the one that deserves an apology. From your own people. Your own family. From me." I whispered the last in a tone filled with the guilt I felt for what Adam would have to endure to stay by my side. Once Bella was changed, we would be banned forever from Forks. We meaning my entire family, Bella and Adam included. Adam, by refusing to stay behind when we left, had essentially thrown in his lot with us. He had been disowned by his tribe.

"There is nothing you have done to need forgiveness for, Leia." Adam's words were accompanied by the gentle brush of his fingers through my hair. I groaned softly.

"If not for me, you wouldn't be forced to leave behind everything. If you hadn't imprinted on me..." I trailed off when his hand tightened in my hair. He hissed softly.

"Don't. Just...don't. I expected this reaction from Edward about Bella having to leave behind everything, but not from you. I will never regret imprinting on you. You are my everything. I can survive the loss of my family home, my tribe and contact with my family. I cannot survive the loss of you. You said once that you thought we were soulmates. Do you still believe that?" He was clutching me against him now, his tone desperate. I buried my face against his chest and sighed.

"Yes. I know that. I just hate myself for not speaking up on your behalf. For not trying to convince them to let you visit your family," I said miserably. Adam kissed my hair and seemed to relax.

"I'm assuming you didn't because Edward warned you not to. Trust me when I say that point of the treaty was all or nothing. I stay behind or I go with you. They wouldn't have accepted anything in between. In reality, it is better for us this way. If I never have contact with any of the tribe, I don't have to worry about betraying Cullen family secrets to those who are most likely to use them against us."

Adam words were laced with dark humor and it didn't escape my notice that he said 'us'. He already considered himself part of the Cullen clan. I needed to thank Carlisle for his firm assurance, in front of the entire counsel, that he already thought of Adam as a member of our family. That, coupled with Edward's acceptance, was enough to ease the fears that Adam would not be welcome in our home.

"You're forgetting about Seth," I told him softly, thinking of the young wolf's long range telepathic abilities. Adam grunted.

"I've already talked to Sam about that. He's agreed to allow me an hour a day to phase without anyone eavesdropping. Granted we can't guarantee no emergency phasing, but the pack can only see what I'm consciously thinking. I'll just learn to control my thoughts better."

"Really?" I asked, incredulous. I tilted my head up towards him, seeing his face reflected in my glasses. I know I wore a shocked expression. That Sam Uley would grant us a modicum of privacy stunned me.

"I know. I kept waiting for pigs to start flying out his ass. Or lightning to strike. Or something." Adam said with a laugh. I grinned at the sound of his laughter, but inside I was trembling. This meant that I would have to tell him about Italy. Definitely not now and probably not in the immediate future, but sooner or later, he would demand the whole story. As my mate, he deserved to know everything.

"I'm glad." I said with as much conviction as I could and he hugged me closer. I heard him inhale deeply, drawing my scent into his lungs as we stood there in comfortable silence for a few moments.

"Alice is going to kill you if we don't get going, sis." Edward's voice brought me out of my happy contented place. I had deliberately run two miles from the car, which was the distance at which normal conversational tones weren't easily picked up by my extra sensitive ears. He had raised his voice to be heard and I sighed.

"Time to go?" Adam asked wryly. I nodded.

"My little episode is going to make us late for that final dress fitting. I really don't want to face the wrath of Alice so we better get a move on."

At those words, Adam stepped back from me and phased. As I always did when he was near me in this form, I buried my hands in the fur at his neck, loving the feel of it on my skin. He nuzzled the side of my head gently and then tossed his head, looking at his back then at me and then at his back again. I giggled.

"Really? Can I?" I asked excitedly. He whuffed in amusement and nodded. I wasted no time climbing onto his back. I pulled my knees up against his warm sides and leaned forward to rest my cheek on his head between his ears. As soon as my arms were wrapped loosely around his neck he took off at a lope just shy of vampire speed. I couldn't stop the delighted laughter that escaped me as we ran back to the car.

The next morning

"Running with my family is fun, but riding on Adam's back is exhilarating. He's so warm and his fur is so soft. I love to feel the way his heart races when he runs." I said with a sigh of contentment. Bella giggled from the middle of the bed where she sat eating a bowl of strawberries in yogurt. It was my job to keep her from getting too nervous today and I was taking the job seriously. I had slept over here last night in lieu of Edward. I knew my body wasn't shaped like Edward's, but the cool, granite hardness of my skin seemed to soothe her enough for sleep. But she had talked. A lot.

"Hey, Bella? What is it about the Denali's that has you worried?" I asked in a casual tone as I bent one of Bella's wire coat hangers into an intricate spiral pattern with my fingers. I heard the spoon drop into Bella's bowl and sensed her blush in the familiar way her scent deepened.

"Tanya." That one whispered word held a hint of jealousy, a smidgen of fear and a whole lot of embarrassment. I snorted.

"Trust me when I say Tanya is not now, nor was she ever, anything more than a good friend for Edward."

"But she wanted more." Bella's comment was matter-of-fact and I shrugged.

"She tried once or twice to coax Edward's affections. She considered him a challenge. There aren't many unattached males, vampire or otherwise, that say no to one of the Denali sisters. They've made sensual persuasion an art of over the last millennia." I said with a grimace. Bella sighed.

"I asked Edward about her. He said she was pretty, but that he preferred brunettes. I know he loves me and that he wants me, but I have such a hard time understanding what it is about me that holds him." Her tone was incredulous. She was still so hung up on her misguided view of her 'flawed' humanity. I rolled my eyes.

"Isabella Marie Swan Almost-Cullen, I thought we were past all this 'Edward could do better' crap. You are smart, kind, courageous, selfless and beautiful. Edward's words, not mine, though I agree with him completely and those are only a few of the words he's used to describe you. He has never looked at anyone, human or vampire, the way he looks at you. In his eyes, you are the most beautiful creature on earth. Stop wallowing in your low self-esteem and for once allow yourself to feel a little smug that you've captured the vampire world's most eligible bachelor."

As much as I hated ranting at her on her wedding day, I really wanted to get it into her head that Edward was not only content with her, he was truly happy. I heard her draw in a deep breath and let it out. Then she growled just a little and I heard the mattress shift. She was looking at me, her eyes a little higher than before. She'd straightened her back and no doubt threw her shoulders back.

"You're right. I'm marrying the most beautiful creature on earth today and I refuse to let anything spoil it. Not hyperactive pixie-like vampires or drop dead gorgeous ex-succubae. Edward is mine and I'm his and today is for us." She said in a ferocious tone that melted at the end into longing. I knew she was missing Edward. I got up from my chair, laying aside the wire art I'd been making. I stepped over to the bed and leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"Exactly. Don't worry, Bells, you'll see him in less than twelve hours. So, finish your disgusting human food and go down and talk to Charlie before Alice gets here. I need to run back home and help Esme with a few things and make sure Alice didn't try to sneak in a pair of turtledoves or something." Bella chuckled at the thought and patted my hand.

"Thank you, Leia. For being such a good friend." Her words warmed me and I couldn't resist a hug.

"Thank you for being my best friend and thank you for loving Edward."

"Two easiest things in the world to do. I feel like you got the raw end of the deal," Bella said with a laugh. I giggled and kissed her forehead before jumping out the window. I ran home, letting my joy about today's events drown out the darker emotions that would no doubt resurface tomorrow. Today was Adam's last day on the reservation, his last day to spend with his family at home. He would be coming to the wedding tonight with Jacob and Sarah but he wouldn't be returning with them.

Several hours later, I stood with my hand on Alice's arm so I could see Bella in the full length mirror on the back of Alice's bathroom door. I was in awe of how beautiful she was. Her skin was cream and roses and her hair tumbled in curls around her shoulders beneath her veil. Her deep brown eyes were huge with disbelief as she looked at her own reflection. The narrow sheath of the shimmering white dress that Alice had specially designed for her flared out subtly at the train almost like an inverted calla lily, cut skillfully to showcase her slender, elegant body. The train was a compromise between what Alice wanted and what Bella preferred. In exchange for allowing Bella a small one inch heel, Alice had been allowed to leave a short train on the dress.

"I'm beautiful," Bella breathed in amazement. Behind her, Renee laughed and pulled her daughter into a gentle hug.

"Of course you are, darling. You always have been. I would lament about how my little girl is all grown up, but honestly you've never really had much of a childhood, have you." Renee sounded sad then, almost remorseful. Bella turned in her arms and smiled.

"I wouldn't change anything about my life, mom. It made me into the kind of woman that Edward can love. So, thank you for everything." I heard Alice draw in a sharp breath next to me. I didn't know if she was overwhelmed by the loving moment or scared that Bella would burst into tears and ruin her makeup. If it was the second one, Renee made herself Alice's new best friend by pulling away.

"Oh, Charlie has something for you, from us! Let me go find him." Renee ran out of the room. It was an excuse for her to run into the bathroom, where I heard her sob a couple of times before rummaging for a rag and running water. She attended to her tears quickly and then went looking for Charlie. Bella was back to starring at her reflection. I smelled her tears just before Alice squealed.

"Jasper! Quick, she's going to ruin her makeup!"

"Those are happy tears, Alice. You want me to make her sad or something?" Jasper asked with a chuckle from the next room. Alice pouted, but I sensed Bella relax. I put an arm around her and hugged her close.

"Happy tears, huh?" I asked, handing her a tissue. She nodded, dabbing at her eyes.

"For the first time, I feel worthy of him," Bella whispered. "Thank you so much, all of you."

"Oh Bella," I said, torn between joy that she accepted her worth and sadness that she only felt that way after a five hour beauty regimen. I decided to let it go and kissed her cheek before I slipped away to allow Renee and Charlie give their daughter the sapphire hair combs that had belonged to her grandmother. And then it was time.

I walked down the stairs behind Alice in my silver dress to the music Rosalie played on Edward's piano. I sifted the room through the eyes of several humans, lingering in Sarah's vision for a moment as she looked at Adam. He had his head turned towards me, a loving smile on his handsome face. I blew him a kiss and watched his smile grow before he winked at me. Sarah turned her head to see me and I grinned at her before I concentrated on walking forward. I slipped into place beside Alice and put my hand on her arm so I could see Bella and Charlie come down the aisle.

The entire ceremony seemed to fly by so fast as Edward and Bella exchanged their slightly altered traditional vows. 'Til death do us part' had been replaced with 'as long as we both shall live'. It was more appropriate, obviously. As my dearest brother and my best friend gazed lovingly at each other and pledged their eternal lives to one another, I wished I could look at Adam. I rarely allowed myself to dwell on my blindness but at this one moment, for just a split second, I longed to look into Adam's eyes to see the love we shared reflected back without the aid of a mirror or another person sharing in our intimate moments. I shoved that thought quickly aside, however, unwilling to allow any negative thoughts or feelings ruin Edward and Bella's day.

"You may kiss your bride," Reverend Weber said proudly a few moments later and I watched through Alice's eyes as Edward took Bella's face in his hands and kissed her deeply, their love so obvious in the passionate yet tender way they came together. I squeezed Alice's hand and beamed, ignoring Emmett's low catcalls and the sounds of amusement from the audience. When the pair broke apart, they were presented as husband and wife and then the ceremony was officially over. Edward swept his bride out of the house into the back yard to begin the reception. I hung back, wanting to give the crowd time to thin out. Jasper stood with me.

"Jessica Stanley is eyeballing Bella's bouquet with a rather possessive air. You might want to hide it until Bella's ready to toss it," Jasper said in my ear, pulling me against him so I could see that Jessica was indeed eyeing the bouquet, tugging at Angela Weber's arm and whispering that she was 'determined' to catch it later. As the maid of honor, I had possession of the bouquet. It was a cascade of fragrant freesia, orange blossom and roses. Esme had outdone herself with the arrangements for the wedding. I smiled smugly at Jasper.

"She isn't tossing this beautiful thing. We got a smaller version for her to throw and trust me, I'll coach Bella into throwing it as far from Jessica as possible. Maybe I can get her to aim at Angela."

"You think Bella's got decent enough aim to pull that off?" Jasper asked with a chuckle. I laughed.

"We can only hope."

"We can only hope what?" Adam asked, stepping in front of me. Jasper kissed the top of my head and handed me off to Adam without complaint. In fact, he explained the situation. Adam nodded sagely.

"I think Bella's aim might surprise you. Jacob says she throws a mean wrench." I grinned, remembering the time we had spent in the toolshed this spring working on the bikes. Jacob had taunted Bella one too many times about something and she'd launched a wrench at his head. Adam started to tell that story and Emmett soon joined us, laughing in his usual boisterous manner over 'Little Bella's mean streak'. I relaxed against Adam and enjoyed the moment of camaraderie between my loved ones. It gave me hope that our family could weather the storms to come and emerge on the other side of them both stronger and closer than ever before.


	6. Chapter 6

"Dad and Sarah are both meeting me in Seattle for the day. Dad basically told the rest of the elders that he wasn't going to turn his back on his son like the rest of the tribe had. I expected that from Sarah, but Dad was a huge surprise. He amazes me." Adam's voice was filled with awe as he pulled me close. It was two days after the wedding and I was just spending time with Adam.

"I'm so glad, Adam. I don't want you to have to give up your family," I said softly. My mind was put at ease knowing that he wouldn't be completely cut off from his family. I knew Adam was content with me, due to his imprint and his love for me, but I refused to believe he hadn't been devastated by the tribe's decision. The difference in his subdued mood this morning and his exuberant joy now was proof of that.

"It was never about giving them up, Leia. They understand that I need to be with you. Even if I couldn't see them I'd be writing them constantly and the treaty doesn't have a clause against phone calls." He said with a happy laugh. Then he kissed me and pushed my hair behind my ears.

"I really think your dad is awesome, Adam. Do you think he'd mind if I bought him a car? Or maybe a boat, since he likes to fish. It would be the envy of the entire reservation." I asked, only half teasing. Adam roared with laughter.

"His birthday is October 11th. Knock yourself out," he said, obviously thinking I was joking. He had a lot to learn about the Cullens and since he was officially part of the family now, he needed to learn it sooner than later.

"You and me, the marina, tomorrow afternoon. Maybe we'll even invite Charlie along. He'd get a kick out of that since I'm sure he'll be spending a lot of time out on the water with David and Billy." I said smugly. Adam stiffened beside me.

"You can't be serious," he said, pushing me away from him. He looked down into my face and shook his head. "You're serious. Leia, you can't buy my dad a boat."

"Technically, you might say we are buying your dad a boat. Everything I own is yours and that includes my bank account. Which reminds me, Rose wants to know if you want her to pimp out your truck or did you just want to buy a new one?"

Adam literally stumbled backwards and sat down hard on the edge of the bed. The walls shook a little and the beaded fringe on Adam's regalia, which was now hanging on the wall opposite the bed, clinked together like tiny crystal bells. Most of his things were still packed awaiting our move, but he had wanted some small reminder of home, so I'd insisted he put up the work of art his mother had made for him. I moved to sit next to him.

"I can't...Leia, I don't...I can't accept that," he said in a stunned voice. I sighed.

"Is this a macho pride thing?" I asked cautiously. Adam had never seemed put off by the fact that I had money. His father had made a decent living for his family as a cabinet maker but they hadn't really had a lot of extra money. Adam had kept a part time job until he'd phased the first time and I had convinced him to let me invest the small amount of money he'd saved. With the Cullen Family investment strategy, he'd be a millionaire in his own right within two years, but right now he had very little cash on hand and had to rely on my family for his needs. Our family, I corrected myself mentally.

"Leia, it's not…well, maybe a little, but really…argh! It feels like I'm taking charity. I know its not, I know, but that's how it feels. I get kicked out of my home by people that I've loved and respected all my life and your family takes me in. Honestly, some days I feel like a stray that half the family wants to keep and the other half wants to kick to the pound. I don't feel like I contribute anything. It's so frustrating sometimes," he said, dropping his head into his hands.

I was shocked into stillness for a few seconds. Never once had Adam ever let on that he felt this way. I was well aware that he was often sad and sometimes frustrated by my family's inability to welcome him, but I had never realized just how much it hurt him. I very gently put a hand on his back and leaned against his arm.

"You shouldn't have to feel that way, ever. I'm so sorry." I whispered, still trying to find the right words to say. Adam grabbed me and pulled me into his lap, hugging me close. I tucked my head under his chin and stroked the white cotton of his t-shirt just over his heart. He sighed.

"It's not your fault, Leia. It's not really anyone's fault. It's just…the situation sucks. I'm grateful to you and your family for being willing to take me in, really I am. And knowing that I can see my sister and my dad, well, that just makes it better. But I'm still so out of my comfort zone. It makes me a little grumpy, I guess," he said, just a little bit of sheepish in his tone.

"We all have our bad days and you have more excuse than anyone these days. I'm sorry my sisters are being so crazy. But they are coming around. I mean, Rose wants to make your truck into a piece of art and Alice wants to take you shopping. They know you and I are permanent. They may be having a little trouble accepting you, but they will never question your right to be part of this family. You are my mate. You belong with me." I reached up and took his face in my hands and looked, figuratively, into his eyes. I stroked the warm skin beside his eyes and willed him to see the conviction in my face. "You aren't a stray, you are my other half."

"I know, Leia. In my heart, I know. I'm just waiting for my mind to catch up," he whispered into my hair. I drew little hearts on his chest with my finger and smiled.

"You know I came to the family as a penniless ward of the state. I didn't have a piece of clothing to my name and the only possession I brought with me from my human life was a picture of my mother. I was so worried about becoming a burden on my family, but Carlisle told me I was part of a family unit; as are you. Everyone in this family plays a part," I told him.

"And what was your part?" He asked curiously, a loving tone in his voice.

"I was someone new for them to love. A welcome change, dad said, since any change was exciting in a vampire's life. He also said that challenges are especially welcome. Both you and Bella have challenged us all, and you have changed our lives for the better. You will both find your places soon enough."

"It still feels weird letting you buy my dad a boat," Adam said after a moment of comfortable silence. I poked him gently.

"We are going to buy your father a boat," I said matter of factly. Adam sighed.

"Fine, but nothing fancy. Maybe a few nice extras, though," he said, finally warming to the idea. I hugged him and hummed happily. He kissed me again and I clung to him. His large hands slipped under my blouse and spanned my ribcage, the rough pads of his fingers sending curls of warmth through my body. I moaned softly against his mouth and slid my hands under his t-shirt, stroking up his smooth, muscled back.

"You feel so good, so warm," I murmured softly and his lips left my mouth to feather across my jaw and down to my neck. I let my head fall back to give him better access. We didn't have more than a few minutes, but I wanted to hold him to me for as long as possible. At least, that was the idea until I felt a surge of lethargy wash over me. The way Adam went boneless under my hands, I knew he felt it too. I tried to growl but it came out as a tired groan.

"Jazz, stop that," I said, managing to sound stern. Adam looked up and saw my brother standing in the doorway to our room. He wore a satisfied smirk.

"Jasper, come-on. I have to drive to Seattle and I don't want to fall asleep on the way," Adam said, sounding as annoyed as I wanted to feel. I felt Jasper's influence lift but the mood was broken, which was what he'd intended. I let my hands slip back down to Adam's waist and hooked my fingers into his belt loops, resting my head against his chest to listen to his heart.

"Exactly. You have to drive to Seattle, so I'm doing you a favor. You'll thank me later when you miss the major pileup Alice saw on the 110," Jasper said calmly. I sighed and reluctantly climbed out of Adam's lap.

"You'd better get going, baby. Take the roadster, it's faster and I know it has a full tank of gas. You don't want to miss any time with your dad and sister. Tell them I said hi," I told him. He leaned in and kissed my nose.

"Okay, Lei. I'll be home before ten," he promised. Then he stepped away and I heard him grab his keys and his wallet. "Thanks, Jasper. Thanks, Alice."

"You're welcome." It was Alice's voice that answered from the floor below and I grinned, pleased that Alice had thought to check the traffic for Adam. As he raced down the stairs and out of the house, Jasper stepped into my room and grabbed me around the waist with his hands and lifted me into the air, spinning us both around.

"Well, well, well, little sister. Looks like you have a free day. What say we head down to the airstrip and take the plane up for a few hours?"

"Get her back by three, Jazz. There are a couple of stores in Port Angeles we wanted to hit before we start packing up the closets," Alice said. I grinned and let my brother drag me downstairs and out to the garage. At least I wouldn't have much time to miss Adam today.

One week later

The plan was to move to Alaska one pair at a time. Rose and Emmett were actually in Africa for another two weeks so Alice and Jasper were the first to leave. They would open the house and head into the closest large town to stock the house. Actually, Alice was looking forward to stocking Bella's closet without me there to try to reign in her over the top style. Since we would be spending a year in near seclusion, she didn't see any reason to remain inconspicuous. Which was why I was going to be helping Bella pack some of her old clothes before we headed to Alaska.

"Don't you dare!" Alice screeched from where she was buried somewhere in the back of the moving van. I snorted softly from where I lounged in Adam's arms on the couch. We were watching the Wizard of Oz. It was the second in a stack of musicals that we were planning to watch this weekend between helping pack and hunting.

"Oh please, you don't think Bella won't end up wearing Edward's shirts and jeans all the time? Let her keep some of her own things and she'll be more receptive to the rest of the stuff in her closet. At least her things fit," I said with a wry smile. Alice didn't say anything else, at least not anything terribly coherent. She just muttered under her breath for several minutes. I picked out the names of several of Alice's least favorite fashion designers mixed with epithets and I think there was an obituary for Levi's in there somewhere. I giggled and then went back to watching the cowardly lion singing about the King of the Forest.

By the time the movie was over, Carlisle was home and we gathered outside to say farewell to Alice and Jasper. It was a quick affair since we'd see them in less a week or two at most. Then Esme dragged Adam into the house to help her cook his dinner. I sat on the front steps with Carlisle, my hand on his arm so we could look up the stars.

"Well, it will be quiet without Alice around," I commented. He chuckled softly.

"And I'm sure we will enjoy the quiet for a day or two. After that, we will all miss her terribly," he pointed out. I sighed and leaned my head against his shoulder.

"No doubt, but I'll miss Jasper too. How will we cope with our crazy mood swings without him," I asked, only half joking. Carlisle hugged me against his side and I snuggled into him, breathing in his comforting scent.

"I suppose we will just have to make certain to keep each other happy these next few days. No sad or angry thoughts allowed until further notice," Carlisle said teasingly. I chuckled softly, for the first time in many weeks hoping that we might pull off that feat. Granted Adam's situation was still sad, but he was much happier now that he knew he could still see his family. As long as I didn't dwell on the upcoming goodbye with Charlie or Bella's impending change, things seemed near perfect.

"I'd like nothing more, Dad. What shall we do tonight, then, if we are striving for happy thoughts?" I asked. Carlisle hummed thoughtfully and glanced back at the house.

"I thought we might go for a run. Alice said it will actually be clear tonight and there is a full moon. The stars will be beautiful and it would be a good night to visit the waterfall. It is a good place with only happy memories."

I knew the waterfall he meant. There was a glade deep in the forest to the north, a beautiful place far from roads and civilization, close to the Canadian border. Carlisle and Esme had found it the first time they had lived in this area and it had become a special spot for them. No doubt Alice and Edward knew about its existence, but I was the only one they had shared it with. And now Carlisle was offering to share it with Adam as well. I leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"I would enjoy that and I'm sure Adam will too. Thank you."

"Anything for you, my girl. But I do want to spend some time there alone with Esme. I have tomorrow off, so…" he trailed off suggestively and I grinned.

"Don't worry, Dad. Adam does need to sleep, you know. We'll take off early enough to give you guys some alone time." Living in a house full of vampire couples, I was well aware that my parents had a very active love life. I wasn't embarrassed by it and tried to be understanding. Edward and I used to take off on long hunts when things got really crazy at the house. That was before Bella, though.

I wondered how much worse it would be once we all got to Alaska. There would be four sexually active couples in the house. Adam and I hadn't really broached the subject of sex. That's not to say we didn't desire one another that way. Just remembering the feel of his hot skin under my hands was enough to make my breath hitch. It was just…complicated. I knew we couldn't put off talking about it much longer though. We would have the house to ourselves for long periods of time over the next several days so we wouldn't have to worry about nosy family members eavesdropping on our private chat.

"Thank you, Leia. What do you think, Esme? Trip to the waterfall?" he asked, not needing to raise his voice. Mom laughed from the kitchen.

"That's a wonderful idea, love. Adam, hurry up with that sandwich so we can go for a run. I'll pack you a snack for the trip, too," she said, excitement evident in her voice.

"Did I hear something about a waterfall?" Adam asked, curiosity uppermost in his tone. His hearing wasn't as acute as ours, but it was close. In wolf form, it was at least as good as a vampire's. Well, a normal vampire, anyway.

"It's absolutely beautiful there. You'll like it." I pulled away from Carlisle to run upstairs. I pulled out my seldom used emerald green swimsuit, which Alice had somehow known not to pack. I put it on under my sundress and then grabbed a backpack, shoving an extra pair of shorts for Adam and my cell phone into it. I ran down to the kitchen so Esme could pack Adam's snack into the pack as well.

Three hours later, I sprawled across Adam's chest on top of a large boulder, stargazing through his eyes. Carlisle and Esme had snagged another large rock and were doing the same, talking softly.

"I love you." Adam's soft words were spoken in my hair and I smiled, kissing the skin over his heart.

"And I love you. If someone told me in January that I would be laying here, stargazing with a werewolf, who happens to be my mate, while Edward and Bella were off on their honeymoon, I would have laughed myself hysterical."

"I can't say the last few months have been fun, but laying here with you makes it all worth it. The next few months will be an adventure, but I'm actually looking forward to it now," he said, a grin evident in his tone. I slid up his chest and brushed my lips over his.

"Let's say we start the adventure right now?" I asked, taking both his hands and moving backwards towards the pool. He followed easily and I dropped his hands to shed my sundress, revealing my swimsuit. It was a modest bikini that managed to show more skin than I'd ever been comfortable showing anyone outside of my family. I refused to be shy in front of this young man, knowing he thought I was beautiful in every way. Instead I winked at him and turned, leaping off the side of the pool into the frothing water under the falls. I heard and felt the impact of his large body in the water behind me. He followed me under the waterfall and caught me around the waist, pulling me close as water thundered around us.


	7. Chapter 7

Randomly inserted Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

"Pregnant?"

Carlisle gasped the word incredulously and Esme echoed his surprise, running into the office from the living room. Alice had called moments ago after having a vision that had been somewhat vague, but it had frightened her enough to ask Carlisle to call and interrupt Edward and Bella on their honeymoon. She had complained that Bella had gone fuzzy in her visions over the last week or so. Carlisle had teased her that it was karma for all the eavesdropping she was doing, but he had been a little concerned. So he had called. Now we were all just awestruck. Bella was pregnant? How was that possible?

I darted into Carlisle's office, touching Esme's arm so I could watch my father. He was sitting in his chair, his posture stiff and shock obvious on his face as he spoke with Edward. Evidently he had come out of his catatonic state when Bella announced that something had moved inside her. Carlisle put the phone on the desk after Edward told him they would be on the next flight out of Rio. I watched as awe, excitement and worry all warred on his face. He called Alice back.

"You think the baby is making it hard to see Bella?" he asked her after a few minutes of serious discussion. I heard Alice sigh over the phone. Carlisle grimaced.

"That makes things much more complex. You can still see Edward?"

"He's going to overreact. It doesn't help that the cleaning woman tells him that the baby is the equivalent of death for Bella." Alice's voice was strained and caused me to gasp. Esme had pulled me into her arms, and I buried my face in her shoulder. My mind was spinning along at vampire speed, trying to make some sense of this news. Bella was most likely pregnant with Edward's baby. A half vampire child. My brothers had been jokingly calling Edward an incubus for the last two weeks but this was taking the joke a little too far.

I knew, deep down, that Edward's first thought would be to abort the baby. He wouldn't be willing to sacrifice Bella's life for any reason. I just hoped his second thought was to discuss the matter in depth with Bella. He was getting better at communicating with his new wife, but he was still Edward and I wouldn't put it past him to make an executive decision about this without consulting her first.

"They must have legends about this. Interesting. There are myths and stories about the incubus, of course. I know its impossible for a female vampire to conceive, but perhaps..." Carlisle trailed off as his mind began to race through theories and possibilities. Alice sighed again over the phone and asked to speak to me. Carlisle looked startled, but he tossed me the phone.

"Bella is going to call you in fifteen minutes. I don't know what she asks, but you might want a little privacy for that conversation." My sister's soft voice was whispered so low I don't think anyone else heard it. I tossed the phone back to Dad and shrugged out of Esme's arms.

"I'll...be back in a bit. I need some time to think," I said quietly before I ran up the stairs for my phone. I leapt off my balcony and headed into the deep woods, ignoring my mother's worried inquiry as I ran off. I found myself in my favorite tree, tucked in the hollow created by two large branches. Only Adam knew the exact location of my hideaway and he was spending the day in Seattle with his father and sister at a Mariner's game.

The first measure of _Leia's Grace_, a piece that Edward had composed for me some years ago, broke the relative silence of the woods and I answered my phone cautiously.

"Leia, I need your help. I can't let Edward destroy our baby. It's not a monster." Bella's whisper was pained. I clenched the fingers of my free hand into the bark of my tree, gouging out chunks of bark in my anxiety.

"Bella, if there's a chance you could die..."

"It doesn't matter. I know between Carlisle and Edward they will find a way to save me, even if it means they have to change me when the baby is born. God Leia, I want this and so will Edward, once he realizes what a miracle this is. A miracle, Leia!" Bella was still whispering, but the wonder in her voice was powerful.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" I knew my voice trembled as I asked. I was torn between terror and cautious joy.

"Well, I need to you be my bodyguard until I can get Edward to listen to me," she whispered.

"Bella..."

"Please, Leia, I just need him to stop long enough to hear my side of this. He'll never go through you to get to the baby and Adam will never let him." Bella's voice was determined. "I know I'm asking you to go against Edward, Leia, but he won't hold it against you in the long run. Please, please, for me. For our baby. Edward's baby!"

"Bella!" I tried to talk to her again but she disconnected the call, no doubt worried that Edward would be back soon. I fell back against the tree behind me and whimpered. Once again, I found myself torn between what my best friend, and now sister, wanted and my brother thought she needed.

"Please, Edward, talk this out with her," I whispered to the woods, hoping my brother would listen to his wife. Maybe I wouldn't be forced to be Bella's bodyguard against the one person, beside Carlisle and Adam, that I loved and respected most in the world.

Two days later

"Are you so jealous of my relationship with Bella that you are willing to let her die?" Edward asked harshly. I flinched, but kept my thoughts focused on the sleeping woman on the living room couch beside me. Bella had suffered a restless night, no doubt due to the fact that she was afraid to sleep with her husband. My arms could never replace his for comfort. At least she seemed to be a resting quietly now.

When we had met Edward and Bella at the airport yesterday, Bella had pulled away from Edward to run into my arms. My heart had sunk, knowing then that Edward hadn't listened to Bella's pleas for understanding. Edward had come at us then, but Adam had stepped in front of us. My brother had hissed at him and once he realized our determination to protect the baby from him and if necessary, from Carlisle, he growled at both of us.

Adam had remained silent for the most part, though I had no doubt he was giving Edward hell mentally every time he said something that hurt me. And Edward was trying his best to get to me, to make me give up and let him do what he thought was best. He was furious at both Bella and myself for setting up this 'conspiracy' against him. I didn't often respond to his venomous words, knowing the reason behind them. He was terrified of losing Bella and in his eyes, I was advocating something that could tear her apart, literally. And he was right.

The sonogram that Carlisle had tried yesterday had been inconclusive. The uterine wall was made of something the machine couldn't penetrate, something Carlisle equated to vampire skin. The bump on Bella's stomach was indeed hard, like a lump of granite under her skin. Edward and Carlisle had done research through the night, but hadn't found anything but myths and speculation to go on. The only things we knew for sure were that the baby was growing at a crazy rate and that it was definitely half vampire. Baby Bella was only a few inches long by Carlisle's estimation but he or she kicked like a mule. Bella actually winced this morning during a particularly active session for the baby.

"Edward, I love Bella and I love you. I don't want her to die, but I do respect her right to be a part of making decisions about her life. She has valid points that you refuse to listen to. You're going all 'Edward Knows Best' again and if I have to stand between you and your bride until you get your head out of your ass and realize that as scary as all this is, its also a freaking miracle, then so be it," I said, matching his harsh tone. Adam squeezed my hand to show his support from his position on the floor at my feet.

"Miracle? It's half monster, Leia," Edward said, the harshness of his tone giving way to self-loathing.

"You are not a monster, Edward. And this child is as much a part of Bella as it is a part of you. She or he has a heartbeat for pete's sake!" I shouted the last without meaning too. Bella groaned and rolled over, so I turned all my attention to her. Adam, however, still had his eyes on Edward and he saw the look of shock on his face. I couldn't help a smile at that expression. Edward had always been a glass half empty personality, so I knew he hadn't considered the possibility of this child being as much human as it was vampire. I had heard Carlisle and Edward's conversations through the night and both of them seemed ready to believe the worst.

I was a little disappointed that my father was siding with Edward on this. As much as the possibility of a child conceived by a human and a vampire intrigued him, he didn't want to risk Bella's life. He agreed with Edward that there were too many unknown factors in this scenario. Esme and I, however, were with Bella. Yes, it might be dangerous, but the chance to bring a life into the world was worth some risks. We were cautiously optimistic. Adam had been stunned by the news and he had yet to tell me how he really felt about it, though he had become Bella's champion with me readily. I couldn't see the concern in his eyes when he looked at Bella, but I knew it was there. He was also petrified that he might phase at the wrong time and give this secret away to the pack. He was extremely concerned about what their reaction might be. It was the only thing that Edward agreed with us on. The pack couldn't find out.

"You can hear his heartbeat?" Bella asked groggily. I laid my hand on her arm and smiled.

"Yes. Its faint and muffled by the granite wall that is your stomach right now. But it's there," I said gently, laying my hand on the hard ball under her shirt. I noticed that Carlisle had come down from his office and was hovering behind us. Adam's gaze flickered between the still shocked Edward and my father, whose eyes were bright with excitement. Dad was obviously happy about this news. I felt bad for keeping it from them all day. Maybe I could have saved us all a few hours of pain.

"What does it sound like?" Bella asked, her face bright with joy under Adam's gaze. I leaned down and laid my ear against her tummy. I hummed softly as I monitored the quiet, crazy fast rhythm that was the baby's tiny heart.

"Like hummingbird wings, a little slower but just as insistent but somehow soft," I said and then kept time with my fingers on the arm of the couch. Human fingers wouldn't have been able to keep up for long, if at all. I deliberately cleared my mind of any thoughts but the life affirming sound and knew Edward heard it through me when he gasped softly. Bella looked up at him, concern clouding her joyous expression. She moved out from under me to go to him. She reached up and cupped his face in her hands. It was the first time she had voluntarily touched him since she had flown into my arms at the airport. Edward thought she was angry with him, but I knew she also felt guilty for causing him so much pain.

"Edward, are you alright?" She asked and then grimaced. She knew the answer to that question.

"No, Bella. I'm not alright," he replied softly, reaching out and pulling her to him. Through Adam's eyes, I watched his arms tremble as he embraced her, no doubt fighting the urge to crush her to him. "I'm terrified..."

"I'm so sorry, Edward," Bella interupted, resting her cheek against his chest. "I hate causing you pain, but I want this baby for us. Not just for me, but for us. Please, try to understand why I can't let you destroy our miracle without giving it a chance to live. Give him a chance to live."

"Bella, my Bella. I'm so worried it will destroy you. I can't live without you," he said, his face buried in her hair. Bella choked back a sob.

"You won't have to. I have complete faith that you and Carlisle can find a way to save us both, Edward. Me and the baby. Please, Edward, just give it a chance."

"I want to, Bella. God, I want to."

"Then we will talk about it and we will find a way, together," Bella said, looking up at him with hope in her eyes. Edward gazed at her a long moment and then he nodded. Bella's cry of joy made the corner of his mouth twitch into a half smile. It didn't last long, but it was there. For the first time in two days, I felt my body relax. I collapsed against Adam and he caught me, peppering my face with kisses as he gathered me into his strong arms. I barely even noticed when Edward swung Bella up into his arms and headed up the stairs. I trusted Edward to keep his word. He wouldn't lie to Bella, not about something so important.

"Thank God. I don't think I could stand another minute of that...tension," Adam breathed against my neck. I felt Carlisle's hand on my shoulder as he sank down onto the couch. He had his phone to his ear. Esme was in town picking up dinner. Charlie was coming over tonight. It would be Bella's chance to say goodbye for the last time. We were driving to Alaska in the morning. It was the only reason Alice and Jasper weren't here now. They were shopping for medical equipment in Juneau today and would pick Rose and Emmett up at the airport tonight.

According to Emmett, Rose was still in shock. It would be interesting to see how she took Bella's pregnancy once the shock wore off. She would either be estatic about the thought of a baby in the house, or her jealousy of Bella's ability to have a child would make her insane. Alice was still upset that she couldn't see Bella clearly and Jazz, well, he was just incredulous.

"Yes, Esme, they're going to talk things out now. This will be so much easier now that we are working together instead of at odds."

"Thank god, Carlisle. I couldn't stand to see them both suffering like that. This can be such a good thing, so good," my mother said on the other end of the line.

"This isn't going to keep Edward from suffering, Esme. He will be worried for her the entire time. We all will be. But at least now he is trying to see things from her perspective. He wants this baby, Esme. You should have seen his face when Leia told him she could hear the heartbeat," my father's voice became excited at the end. Esme's gasp made me smile.

"Truly, Carlisle? A heartbeat? Oh, this is good news. Perhaps the baby will be more human than you feared."

"I certainly hope so. I just wish there was a precedent for this! All we have to go on are vague legends. If I wasn't worried about how fast this was progressing, I would love to do a little investigating down in Brazil. It will have to wait until after the child is born. If it grows as fast out of the womb as in it..." he trailed off thoughtfully.

"Let's take this one day at a time for now. I'll be home in ten minutes. Charlie is due at seven."

"Alright, love. I'll see you soon."

My father then called Alice and let her know the state of affairs here. She sounded relieved and promised to have the extra room set up with equipment for the pregnancy by tomorrow. They talked about hospital beds and surgical tables and units of blood while Adam stroked my hair. I tuned out Bella and Edward's conversation as best I could, not wanting to intrude on this moment. I couldn't help but hear Edward's confession that it was hearing the heartbeat in my thoughts that forced him to admit that he wanted their child, too. I leaned my head back and pulled Adam's head down for a quick kiss before I pulled away from him.

"Let's set the table for dinner."


	8. Chapter 8

"So that's why you picked Alaska? Because they have family there?" Charlie asked Bella. They were sitting outside on the back patio, enjoying a quiet moment together while Esme and I finished putting dinner on the table. Charlie had asked about the Denali's. He was still trying to figure out the family connection. As with our own little family unit, there was very little family resemblance except for the eyes and the skin tone.

"That's part of the reason. Edward is familiar with the area and he'll be more comfortable there. He can show me kept their house from before and that's where Edward and I will live while we go to school," she told him softly. I knew it had to be killing her to lie, though this lie was closer to the truth than most.

"Oh, so you won't be staying with Tanya and the others?" he asked, sounding relieved. I didn't understand that. I felt Edward's presence in the doorway to the dining room then. I tried my best to ignore him. After the last two days, I didn't know what to expect from him. Did he still think I had betrayed him? That I had wanted Bella to die so that I could have our old, closer relationship back? As much as I understood the pain and anger behind his accusations, the words still hurt.

"He's worried that I might cheat on Bella with one of them," Edward said, just loud enough for the other vampires in the house to hear. There was a bit of amusement in his tone. Charlie still struggled with his feelings about Edward. He obviously still didn't trust him much. Then again, Tanya had been flirting shamelessly with Charlie at one point during the wedding reception. Perhaps he just wondered how any man could resist her in close, constant quarters.

"At least he's worried about it and not hoping you'll do something to drive Bella away from you," Esme said gently as she placed a bowl of mashed potatoes on the table.

"He wouldn't want to see Bella hurt like that. He might not be fond of Edward, but he is her husband now and he has accepted that she wants to be with him," Adam said from where he was carving up a roast. He didn't address Edward directly, nor did he look at him. Adam wasn't terribly fond of Edward right now, either. He had made the comment last night that until Edward made ammends with me, he wouldn't forgive him for hurting my feelings. As juvenile as that sounded, I was touched by Adam's fierce protectiveness. But, since I wasn't expecting an apology from Edward anytime soon, I hoped Adam would at least be civil. Bella didn't need the added stress. I heard Edward sigh from across the room and quickly darted into the kitchen to get the rolls out of the oven.

Outside, Bella assured Charlie that it would only be herself and Edward at the house. The public story was that Carlisle and Esme were moving to Juneau, to be close to Edward and Bella in case they were needed. Rose and Emmett, of course, were still off on their own. Alice and Jasper were 'at school' somewhere and everyone just assumed that I would be with Carlisle and Esme. Most people, besides those on the rez that knew better, just assumed that Adam would be staying in Forks. Very few people knew that Adam was as good as a Cullen now, not even Charlie.

"Dinner's ready," I announced loudly as I returned to the table with the bread. Bella and Charlie came back inside as we all settled around the table. I watched though Adam's eyes as Edward gathered Bella to him, his hand resting subtly against her belly in a way that Charlie wouldn't notice. She was wearing an oversized flannel shirt tonight. Charlie might be soft spoken, but he was just as observant as his daughter. Bella's baby bump wouldn't escape notice if she didn't actively hide it.

We kept conversation flowing at the table. It was easier to hide the fact that most of us weren't eating if our mouths were busy talking. Adam was kind enough to steal food off of my plate often. I spent most of the time tearing a roll into tiny bits, just listening to the conversation fly around us. At least, until Charlie addressed me.

"So, Leia, what are your plans for the next few months? You and Bella have been like two peas in a pod lately, and I know you'll be missing Adam as well," he said, his voice conveying his concern for me. He had watched my relationship with Adam grow over the past several months and he was oddly more protective of our relationship than he had ever been of Bella and Edward. I smiled brightly at him and reached over to put a hand on Adam's wrist.

"Well, Adam is going to come stay with us for a while. He's thinking about applying to the same school as Bella and Edward and wants to see if he likes Alaska. Me, I'm just going to enjoy the time off with my family for a while. I might take some dance classes," I said, keeping it fairly simple. Charlie looked surprised.

"Adam, son, I didn't know you were leaving town," he said, looking over at Adam with concern, then flashed a glance at Carlisle and Esme. They looked completely unconcerned and I saw Charlie relax a little.

"I'll miss my family, but the thought of Leia being so far away was killing me. I've got a little money saved up and my grades are good enough that I could get a scholarship if I applied. I've been thinking of maybe taking some music classes. Carlisle and Esme were kind enough to offer me a place to stay and dad is okay with it," he said with a shrug. Charlie was quiet for a moment before speaking again.

"David's really okay with it? What about your sister? I know you're pretty close."

"I'm eighteen, so dad understands he can't tell me where to go, or who to love," he said, lifting my hand to plant a kiss on my knuckles. "We've had some good talks about it lately and yeah, he's okay with it. Even happy for me, I think. As for Sarah, well, between email, the phone and promises to visit occasionally, we'll stay connected."

"Ah, well, that's good. We'll miss you, though," Charlie said, his tone sincere. Adam reached across the table and put a hand on Charlie's shoulder.

"I'll miss everyone here, too, but my life is with the Cullen's now. I do have one request, though. Can you make sure dad isn't real lonely? With Sarah out of the house and now me leaving, he's alone too much. Maybe drag him fishing more often?"

Charlie laughed at that and nodded. Bella giggled.

"I don't think that will be a hardship, asking Dad to go fishing more often," she said. Charlie chuckled and nodded again towards Adam.

"I'll make sure he stays social. Might even talk him into helping me build a deck on the house. Heck, we can even get Billy to supervise," Charlie said thoughtfully. I felt Adam relax beside me and I leaned against him. He was obviously more worried about his father than he'd let on and knowing Charlie was there for him eased his mind.

"Thank you, Charlie," I said softly. He winked at me and then began eating again, praising Esme's efforts as he did so, claiming he'd never had such a wonderful meal. That made Bella poke him playfully and he grinned repentantly. The rest of the meal was relaxed and eventually everyone decided to retire to the back patio again since it was a rare, clear night in Forks. I volunteered to clean up the dishes, pushing Adam towards the backyard with the rest of my family when he tried to help. It was Carlisle who insisted on helping me.

"I'm proud of you." Carlisle said this out of the blue as he was helping me put away the leftovers to send with Charlie. I tilted my head at him in confusion. He laid down the bowl of potatoes he'd just put a lid on and moved to wrap his arms around me.

"For standing between Bella and Edward...and me. For giving us time to calm down enough to see that Bella was right. As scary as things are, will probably get, this is still a miracle. I know I come across as clinical sometimes and I'll admit that the scientific aspects of this situation are impossible for me to ignore, but...I'm going to be a grandfather," he whispered to me, awe evident in his tone. I threw my arms around him and kissed his cheek.

"And I'm going to be an aunt," I said, finally allowing the joy I felt overwhelm the fear for Bella's safety. If my father was hopeful, then I could allow myself to be happy about this. However, as I listened to Charlie chatting happily with my brother, Adam and Esme, I felt just a twinge of sadness. Charlie would never know his grandchild.

Twenty minutes later, we finally got Charlie out the door with a box full of leftovers. Bella put on a happy face for her father, but the minute he was out of the driveway, she buried her face in Edward's shirt and wept. I reached over and touched her shoulder gently. She pulled away from Edward and threw her arms around me, hugging me tight.

"Thank you, Leia. For being my friend, for loving me enough to stand up to your family with me, for just…being you," she said in a thick voice. I stroked her hair and kissed her temple.

"I could say the same for you, Bella. You've been such a wonderful friend to me, my first real best friend and now my sister. I love you very much and I'm so glad you're a part of this family. We can never replace your parents, but I hope we will be enough to ease the pain of losing them," I whispered softly to her. I felt Adam's warm arms envelope us both and I wished I could cry with them, for both of them. I felt almost bad, knowing that I was gaining a sister and a mate and yet they were losing their families. It left a bitter taste in my mouth. When Bella finally pulled away, Edward surprised me by reaching out and tucking a curl behind my ear. I felt a spark of hope that maybe he would forgive me sooner rather than later. He didn't say anything, though. Instead, he scooped Bella up and ran up the stairs to their room.

With Charlie gone, we didn't waste any time getting the rest of our things packed in the moving van. Carlisle and Esme knocked on Edward's door and said a quick goodbye to Bella before they drove off in the van, the Mercedes on tow behind. Both Bella and Adam needed to get some rest, so the rest of us waited until morning to follow. After a quick breakfast, Bella curled up in the backseat of the Volvo and fell back to sleep. Adam was forced to drive the roadster, since there wasn't an extra pair of eyes for me to use while driving myself. The first leg of the trip was fairly uneventful. With Edward in the lead, we were able to drive at top speed, only slowing down when he 'heard' a patrolman in the area. We only stopped twice for gas, human moments and food.

"Bella, you need to eat something," Edward's voice was pleading. We were at a truckstop outside Terrace, British Columbia and if my last phone call to Alice was correct, Carlisle and Esme had stopped here only an hour before. We would catch up to them soon, which was good since Adam was getting too sleepy to drive safely. My beloved was currently perusing the selection of caffienated beverages while Edward tried to talk Bella into picking out something to eat. She'd had a bowl of scrambled eggs for breakfast and only a half a bag of chips in the twelve hours since then.

"I'm scared to try anything, Edward. Driving 120 miles an hour doesn't really help settle my already unstable stomach," Bella groused. Edward sighed.

"I know you hate the speed, love, but its the difference between two days on the road and one. I want to have you safely back in a real bed by morning," he said, leaning down to speak softly in her ear. Bella leaned against him and sighed. Her stomach chose that moment to growl, loud enough for the human cashier to hear five feet away. He looked over at her and noticed Bella rolling her eyes at Edward before she grabbed a box of twinkies, three sticks of beef jerky and a bag of cashews. Then she marched towards the cooler in front of Adam and jerked it open. She pulled out a bottle of chocolate milk and turned to march back toward the front of the store where Edward waited. Or she tried to at least. Instead, she tripped over a display of coolers. Luckily, Adam's reflexes were in good shape despite his fatigue. He caught her with a chuckle.

"Whoa there, Bells. Ooo, twinkies and milk. A girl after my own heart. Caffeine scmaffeine, sugar'll work just as well," he said, eyeing the small pile of junk food still clutched in her arms. Bella giggled as he set her upright on the floor and then she beelined for Edward, who was grinning from ear to ear. He was no doubt glad to hear Bella's mirth. She had been irritable all day, due no doubt to her hunger and his driving. Adam chuckled and grabbed a bottle of plain white milk while I went to get him his own box of Twinkies.

"No, sweetheart. You grabbed the Ho hos," Adam said gently as he took the box from my hand to swap it out for the yellow, spongey treats. I pouted a little, but was glad he'd corrected me. Adam wasn't fond of chocolate, but he was just as likely to eat the things as to tell me I'd gotten the wrong thing because of my blindness. Maybe he knew I'd be angry with him if I found out about it later. I didn't want him to baby me because of my disability. I was lucky to have a gift that helped me get around it sometimes, but my blindness still limited me in some ways. Adam leaned down and kissed me in silent apology before going to pay for his purchases. Edward finished up before him and walked with Bella towards the door. He paused beside me and reached out to touch my shoulder.

"When we catch up with Carlisle and Esme, I'm going to asked Carlisle to take the Volvo. Do you think Adam would mind riding with Esme in the van so we can talk?" He asked, his voice too low for anyone but me to catch. I couldn't stop the surprised expression from crossing my face and I'm sure it colored my mindtone as well. It was the first time Edward had spoken to me without animosity since he and Bella had returned from Brazil.

_Um, I'll ask him._

Which was how I ended up driving along with Edward's arm around my shoulders and his eyes fixed firmly on the back of the Volvo in front of us. I'm sure it was as much to watch Bella as she chatted with Carlisle as it was to give me eyes for the road. I had been surprised yet again when Edward had asked if I wanted to drive.

"You're a good driver, Leia, as long as it isn't Emmett sitting with you," Edward commented wryly. At any other time, I might have grinned and quipped something back at him about Emmett. But today I was nervous about what he wanted to talk about.

"I want to ask your forgiveness," Edward said, his arm tightening around my shoulders. His voice as pitched too low to carry to vampire ears in nearby vehicles, but the shame laced into those words was obvious. It was a good thing my brain was able to multitask or I'd have run the car off the scenic route we were traveling on. And since I had a sheer rock wall on one side and a rather impressive ravine on the other, that wouldn't have ended well.

_For what, exactly? _I asked cautiously in my thoughts. If Edward was ready to apologize for something, I wanted him to be specific about it. He'd said and done several hurtful things over the last three days.

"For taking out my fear for Bella on you. For saying things that I know are not and never will be true about you. For hurting the one person with enough guts to tell me to my face that I was wrong to discount Bella's opinions about her pregnancy. For accusing you of being jealous of my relationship with Bella," he whispered.

_You know that's not true, Edward. I love Bella like a sister and I'm beyond estatic that you've finally found your mate. I do miss spending time with you, but I would never begrudge that time spent with Bella. I have a mate of my own, so I understand the need to be with the one you love, _I thought, letting him see exactly how hurt I was that he would ever think something like that. I felt him cringe beside me.

"I do know that, Leia, I swear it. I was just so desparate to save Bella from something I considered evil I didn't bother to discuss it with her. I thought she was scared, Leia. You should have seen her eyes when she figured it out, huge and startled. She didn't even try to talk to me until we were on the plane and then I just thought she was trying to be brave in case I wanted the baby. When she ran into your arms in Seattle and you laid into me about listening to my wife, I just saw red. I thought if I tore you down enough, you'd back down and give me to the opening I needed," Edward said, a sob evident in his voice as he lowered his head to my shoulder. His eyes didn't leave the car in front of us, but the top of his head was tucked against my neck, his cheek resting along my shoulder.

"I don't think she would have ever forgiven you," I said quietly, aloud. I felt him shudder.

"Better her disdain than her death, Leia. Spawn of evil or child of love, the baby can still kill her and I can't...I can't live without her," he said brokenly. In that instant, I forgave him for his behavior over the last few days. I couldn't exactly forget it, vampire memory and all, but I wouldn't let it affect our relationship more than it had. He and Bella would both need all the support they could get in the next several weeks.

_Then we won't let her die. She trusts you and Carlisle to find a way to keep them both alive and so do I. That's why I was willing to help her, Edward. That and because I know what a wonderful father you'll be, _I thought at him. He tightened his grip on my shoulders and was quiet for a long while. I just enjoyed the stillness and his company, breathing with him as he watched Bella shift around in her seat, occasionally looking back towards us. I would lift my hand and wave at her and she would giggle and turn back towards the front of the car.

Carlisle was regaling Bella with tales from his earlier years as a vampire. I had heard it all, but I never tired of hearing about my father's life. About an hour later, Bella fell asleep, her head against the window. Carlisle plucked the pillow from the backseat and gently tucked it under her head, his hands only leaving the steering wheel for two seconds. I smiled.

"I love you, dad," I said quietly. Edward saw him look up and meet his gaze in the rear view mirror.

"Love you, too, my girl," he said gently. I sighed happily and settled back against Edward's arm. He was tapping out a rhythm on my arm with his fingers and I recognized the beat as _Leia's Grace_. I hummed along after a moment and felt his cheek lift against my shoulder.

"Do you really think so?" Edward asked, his whisper so faint I knew Carlisle wouldn't hear it. I was fairly certain what he was asking. Did I really think he would be a good father? I took one hand off the steering wheel so I could touch his cheek with my fingertips.

_I believe it with all my heart._


	9. Chapter 9

I would miss my studio room. Our home in Alaska was not as spacious as the one in Forks and my room, though still large, was rather full with the king sized bed and the furniture I had accumlated over the last decade. Not to mention bookcases and desks for both mine and Adam's things. I giggled, thinking how much I sounded like a spoiled, impetuous child. I heard Edward snicker from the room down the hall where he was curled around Bella on their bed.

"That's because you are spoiled. I tried to warn Carlisle and Esme not to baby you so," he said in amusement. I snorted softly and Adam looked in my direction from where he was unpacking some of his things. I rolled my eyes.

"I was just thinking how much I'll miss our room in Forks," I told him. Adam chuckled.

"That doesn't make you spoiled. Anyone in their right mind would miss the extra space. But we've more than we need really, since we won't be dancing in here," he said. And he was right. Esme, Rose and Emmett were planning to expand the garage space to give us a new dance studio. Edward laughed.

"See what I mean? Spoiled rotten," he said. I imagined myself rolling my eyes and growling at him. _Me? I'm not the one the entire family is building a frickin' chalet for. _

"Uh huh," was all Edward said to that. He couldn't exactly retort properly since the house, more the size of a cottage instead of a chalet it was designed after, was Bella's birthday present, as well as a wedding gift for Edward, from the family. I heard Bella asking him what we were talking about and he easily deflected her questions and then suggested Bella go for a walk with him. I heard Alice chime in that the Denali's were coming over in one hour and twelve minutes for a visit. Edward promised to have her back by then and whisked her out of the house.

"So, Irina isn't coming?" Adam asked from the cabinet where he was organizing his beads, feathers and other paraphenaelia for costuming. I heard the concern in his voice. He knew things were a little strained with the Denali's since the pack and I had killed Laurent. We had since 'made up' with Tanya, Kate, Carmen and Eleazar, but Irina was still refusing to have anything to do with us. In fact, Dad had told me this morning that Irina had up and left her family when she'd learned that Adam was accompanying us to Alaska. Irina and I had never gotten along, so honestly I was relieved she wouldn't be around to make things awkward, but I did feel a little bad for the rest of the family. She was their sister and I knew how much it hurt when one's family wasn't together.

"No, she's not in Alaska at the moment," I told him quietly. He was still for a moment before commenting.

"Did she leave because of me?" he asked, just a hint of distress unlying his tone. I moved to stand behind him, leaning against his strong back with my arms around his waist.

"She left because of us, honestly. Don't let that bother you, love. We did what we had to do. Laurent was ready to kill you or Bella, and he was willing to destroy me to do so. Just because Irina wanted Laurent for her mate does not excuse him from justice if he threatens another member of the family or someone protected by the family. The rest of the Denali's understand that, which is why they came to the wedding and apologized for leaving us to fight the newborns alone. They'll miss Irina while she's away, but she'll be back once we're gone, I'm sure. A few years, a decade at the most," I said softly. I heard and felt him heave a sigh before he turned into my arms. He put his hands on my waist and lifted me so he could touch his forehead to mine.

"I don't regret killing Laurent. I'm just worried the rest of the Denali's might still be a little offended by my presence here. Just because they understand doesn't mean they will accept me," he said, looking directly into my useless eyes. I angled my face a bit and kissed him gently.

"You are as much a part of the family as Bella. She is Edward's mate and you are mine. They don't have to like you, but they do have to get over the fact that you're a member of this family," I said firmly. Both Carlisle and Esme chimed in loud agreement with me from the other side of the house, loud enough that Adam could hear them. The rest of the family was silent, expect for Alice who snorted softly. I heard Jasper shush her quietly and I sighed. No doubt Alice would side with the Denali's in any grumblings about Adam's presence here. She had accepted Adam as my mate, but she still detested the fact that his presence basically short circuited her gift around the family. Add to that the stress of the baby blocking her as well and Alice was fit to be tied.

"Yes, but are you sure I need to be here for this first visit? It would be good if Alice could see how they respond to Bella's pregnancy before we tell them," Adam said, as if he could read my thoughts. I heard Alice gasp softly downstairs.

"Carlisle, we can't tell them. Irina will go to the Volturi," she said, horror in her tone. Evidently Adam had made a conscious decision not to be at today's meeting and it was enough for Alice to get a read on the situation. Carlisle quickly calling a family meeting. By the time we were all gathered around the table, Edward was back with Bella thanks to a phone call from Alice. Bella looked terrified so I assumed Edward had explained the situation to her. I was proud of Edward for not giving in to his natural impulse to hide the truth from his wife to spare her feelings.

"Adam, decide to be gone again," Alice said, looking directly at Adam with a disgruntled expression. Adam sighed and Alice's expression cleared.

"What if we ask them not to say anything to Irina?" Carlisle asked Alice as the rest of us looked on anxiously. Alice was quiet for a moment and then sighed.

"I'm getting multiple futures and all of them are hazy. I don't think we'll know for sure until we actually tell them. I don't think we can keep it from the indefinitely. They'll know something's up and Tanya's already on the defensive because Irina up and left," Alice said in frustration. Bella's hands were covering her stomach protectively and she looked up at Edward in fear. He stroked her face gently.

Adam's gaze flickered briefly towards Rosalie. She had been uncharacteristically quiet through all of this. When we had arrived two days ago, the first time Rose saw Bella she had looked stunned. She had honestly thought Alice and Jasper's news about the pregnancy had been a joke, one in incredibly poor taste. I think she was still trying to wrap her head around the idea. At this precise moment, she was watching Edward and Bella with what I thought might be longing. Time would tell if she would become jealous of Bella's ability to have a child or join the rest of us in our cautious joy over the possibilities.

"We won't tell them if they won't promise to keep the news from Irina," Edward told Bella gently. Adam returned his gaze to Edward and saw him look up with a troubled expression.

"Honestly, Carlisle, as sensitive as they are about the subject of vampire children it will make it harder for them to be objective. We shouldn't tell them until we know more about the baby's physiology."

"You're probably right, Edward. Perhaps we should wait to tell them anything until we have more information about the situation. Or at least until we confirm that the child will grow into a rational adult creature," Carlisle said, the last sentence spoken gently as his eyes rested on Bella. She cringed against Edward and he patted her gently.

"You think we can keep them in the dark that long? Despite Adam's presence and Irina's defection, they are excited to have the family back in the area. They have all expressed interest in getting to know Bella. Granted it is more to do with the novelity of her being a human mated to a vampire, but they will be confused if we keep her in hiding until the baby is born," Esme said softly. There was a silence around the table for a few seconds before Jasper spoke up.

"I think we should tell them and request that they keep it from Irina. They do not want the Volturi waltzing across Denali anymore than we do. I think we can convince them that it is in the best interest of all involved to keep Bella's condition a secret for now," Jasper said.

"Just don't surprise them with the news. Maybe we can bring up it hypothetically in conversation? I mean, Bella and Edward are getting their freak on, so it's a legitimate topic for conversation," Emmett said. Edward growled at him, but Alice clapped her hands happily.

"Oh, that could work. There's a 92% chance that they won't say anything to Irina if we break it to them gently," she said. I felt Adam relax against me when he saw Carlisle's relieved smile. After a few more minutes of planning how exactly we would bring up the possibility of a vampire impregnating a human, Alice announced that the Denali's would arrive in twenty two minutes. Adam sighed.

"Can I come home now, Alice?" he asked sarcastically. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Let's just hope your presence doesn't change the outcome of our plan," she said snarkily. I turned my face towards my sister and frowned at her.

"Because God forbid we have to resolve the situation in real time," I said, not bothering to keep my irritation out of my tone.

"Children," Carlisle said quietly, his mildly reprimanding tone lost on Alice as she huffed and narrowed her eyes at me.

"Well, if you hadn't fallen in love with a stupid frickin' werewolf, we wouldn't have to..."

"Alice!" The sharp reprimand came from four different directions as I stumbled back against Adam, who was growling low in his throat, his body vibrating as he fought against the urge to phase in the middle of the living room. I swear his vision actually went hazy red around the edges. Hurt and anger warred inside me when he turned and ran from the house, taking my vision with him. I heard the sound of fabric ripping as Adam phased on his way out the door.

"You know what, Alice? Grow the hell up," I snarled and then turned and followed my mate outside.

"Leia! I'm sorry, I just..." Alice's voice followed me out the door but I ignored it, chasing Adam's scent away from the front of the house. I stumbled over a fallen tree that hadn't been here when we'd left Alaska a few years ago, but I just picked myself up and ran on. I had to slow down to almost human speed when Adam wandered out of the grounds I had mapped for myself before our move to Forks. He was climbing up into the mountains, going deeper into the park towards Mt. McKinley. After I tripped for the fifth time and barely avoided falling into a ravine, I realized I didn't have a chance of navigating the terrain without some guidance. I sighed in frustration and settled on a rock with my head in my hands. I was only there for a few minutes when I heard and smelled both Jasper and Esme coming.

"Great," I muttered, pulling my knees up to my chest and resting my head on them. Esme I could handle but Jasper, well, he would no doubt try to tell me how sorry Alice was and coax me back to the house, using all his empathic wiles to make me follow him home like a puppy. Esme would probably try to coax me home as well, but she couldn't force me feel something besides what I did. I felt betrayed, sad, angry and even a little scared. Adam had run away from me and for the first time since we'd officially become a couple, I worried that the stress of my family's disrepect for him as a person would be to much for him to bear. Hell, the stress was almost too much for me to bear. Top everything off with Bella's pregnancy, the Denali's coming over and the Volturi lurking in the background, and I was ready to run away from it all myself.

"Leia," Jasper said softly as they approached me. I put up my hand, trying to stop whatever excuse he was going to make for his wife. To my surprise, he did not make excuses for Alice and he didn't try to manipulate my emotions.

"I'm sorry for what Alice said. There is no good excuse for her actions and she knows she's got some groveling to do when you get home," he said, reaching down to pull something out of my hair. No doubt some bit of plant life I'd picked up in one of my falls. I tilted my head up at him and he cupped my cheek in his hand. "I'll go find Adam for you while you and Esme have a chat."

"Thank you," I whispered, grateful to him for going against his natural inclination to defend his wife and for going after Adam. His presence moved away as Esme came to stand beside me. She put both her hands on my shoulders.

"I sorry, Leia. Alice is so frustrated right now and she's taking it out on all of us," Esme said gently. I sighed.

"We're all frustrated, mom. It's not the fact that she's lashing out that bothers me. It's the complete disrepect for Adam and the disregard of our relationship that hurts. Neither one of us asked for this, but Adam imprinted on me and I've accepted him as my mate. Alice's attitude isn't going to change that. I love him, Esme. He's my soulmate," I said, unable to hide the wistful tone in my voice. I missed Adam already and I was honestly scared he might not be planning on coming back to the house anytime soon. He had proven that he could live without me for weeks at a time, imprint or no imprint. As if sensing my inner turmoil, Esme wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close.

"I have to say it's been a struggle for all of us to accept Adam into our lives and it's harder for Alice because of her gift. Or the lack of it when he is around. But as you pointed out, he is your mate. The rest of the family will get to know him in their own time and I'm sure they'll fall in love with him like I have. He's so like you, Leia, with his bright and loving personality," she said quietly.

"I'm seeing less and less of that bright side of Adam of late. He's just as frustrated as the rest of us and I'm honestly surprised its taken this long for it to get to him. What if Alice doesn't come around, mom? What if she can't accept Adam as part of the family?" I asked, my voice pained. Esme sighed and stroked my hair.

"Then we will no longer be able to live together as one family unit. As much as I prefer having us all together, we've lived separately in the past. I'm sure you'll eventually want to spend some time alone with Adam, anyway. But I've no doubt Alice will come to terms with Adam's presence in our lives. She loves this family as much as you do and she wouldn't see us torn apart because of something that is out of Adam's control. Give her a little more time," Esme said, her voice almost pleading. I grimaced.

"You know if it were only me, I would give her all the time in the world and then some. She's my sister and I love her. But its not just about me anymore. Adam is my other half and if he is hurt or uncomfortable, so am I. If I am forced to chose between the family and Adam, I'll have to chose Adam," I said hoarsely. That revelation hit me hard and I choked back a sob as I realized my love for Adam might be the thing that tore our family apart. Esme's arms tightened around me, as if through strength alone she could hold me to her. But after a brief moment, her arms loosened and she slid her hands down my arms and took my hands in her own.

"If it comes to that, my darling daughter, I will support you in your decision. I understand the need to put your mate first. But I will always be there for you, if you should need me," she said gently. I squeezed her hands and leaned up to kiss her cheek.

"Thank you, mom. I love you and I pray that it won't come to that," I told her, taking a deep breath to hold back another sob. I let her tug me off the rock I was sitting on and lead me back to the house. The Denali's were there, of course, and I heard Carlisle, Rose and Emmett chatting with them about the local animal populations and planning hunting trips for the winter months. Edward and Bella were upstairs and of course Jasper and Adam weren't back yet. I didn't know where Alice was. She was being uncharacteristically silent.

"We'll be right down once we've cleaned up a bit," Esme said as we jumped onto the second floor balcony and then into my room through the window.

"How was your hunt?" Carlisle asked, only a tiny hint of relief in his tone. Evidently we weren't telling the Denali's about our little family 'episode'. I was glad for it.

"Fine. Jasper and Adam will be along soon," Esme said as she left me in my room. I prayed Jasper and Adam didn't make Esme into a liar tonight. I quickly stripped out of my muddy, torn clothes and darted to the bathroom. A two minute shower and I was back in my room looking for a comfortable outfit. I made a quick decision to show my support for Adam by wearing the belt he'd beaded for me over a plain turquoise green shirt dress, black leggings and my mocassins. I was even thinking about braiding a feather into my hair.

"Overkill," Alice's very soft voice spoke from the door. I was tempted not to listen to her, but she came into the room and put her hand on my arm.

"I'm not being mean, Leia. The belt and your bracelet are enough. Any more and they'll make fun of you," she whispered so low only I could hear her. I sighed and nodded without turning towards her. I heard her echo my sigh and she slipped away with a quickly murmured, 'I'm sorry'. Yeah well, words of apology didn't mean much to me right now. If she was really sorry, it was Adam's forgiveness she needed. It wouldn't be the first time she had to ask for it and I doubted it would be the last. I left my room and followed Alice down the stairs. I paused at the bottom, which opened up into the great room.

"Leia, come tell us about your adventures away from the family this spring," Kate said, coming over to touch my arm. I looked through her eyes and her gaze flickered over the white, braided bracelet on my wrist and the beaded, tribal wolves that adorned my belt. I shook my head and gave them a wry smile.

"So eager to walk that mine field of delicate topics this early in the reunion, Kate?" I asked quietly. I heard Emmett snort softly across the room and Kate glanced that direction. Rose was standing beside Emmett, of course, frowning slightly. Carlisle was in front of the fireplace with Tanya beside him and Carmen and Eleazar were seated on the loveseat. Alice was perched on the back of the couch across from them looking towards us with a tentative smile. She was wearing a beaded choker necklace that looked suspiciously like one that Adam had made for me a few weeks ago. I was stunned. I barely even registered when Kate drew me into the room and we settled on the couch with Alice's dainty legs between us.

"Perhaps not all the details, but we would love to know how you managed to mate yourself to a..." Kate's vaguely amused words trailed off when I angled my face towards her. I could see my own fierce expression through her eyes and she blinked. "...uh, shapeshifter." I don't know what she was going to say first, but I saw my face relax when she finished her sentence. I felt Alice's hand on my shoulder then and I left Kate's vision and jumped into hers. She was looking at Tanya, who was giving Carlisle a concerned glance. A flickered glance towards Carmen and Eleazar showed only genuine curiosity. I had discussed this enough with my family that I had a ready answer for them.

"Well, Adam Talldeer started out as a friend to both Bella and I. I'm not sure how much Carlisle has told you about the Quileute wolfpack, but they sometimes imprint on a female. Most of the men in the pack that have imprinted describe it by saying the girl in question becomes the center of their universe. The girl's happiness, safety and well-being are put first before anything else. I am Adam's imprint. Most of the Quileutes think that imprinting is one-sided, based on sexual compatibility to ensure that the shapeshifting gene is passed on. Perhaps that is part of the process, but I'm a vampire female and can't reproduce so I believe that imprinting is based on souldeep compatibility, not just physical. I truly believe that Adam is my soulmate," I said quietly.

"When Jasper returns, he can vouch that both Adam and Leia feel very strongly for one another. It is hard for some of us to adjust to the changes Adam has brought into our lives, but we all accept that he is Leia's mate and as such, he is part of this family," Carlisle said, his tone pleasant but firm. Esme swept into the room at that moment, going straight to her husband. She settled in beside him, Carlisle's arm going immediately around her waist.

"Yes, we do. He has gone through a lot because of his imprint on Leia. The Quileutes have a treaty with us, but that doesn't mean they do more than tolerate our kind. The fact that Adam, one of their own, imprinted on a vampire, one of their enemies, really didn't sit well. When we renegotiated the treaty, Adam was made to choose between his tribe and Leia. He chose Leia," Esme said, pride evident in her voice. At that moment, I heard the sound of Adam's heartbeat in the distance and I pulled away from Alice to move out onto the front porch.

"Since the future of everyone in the room disappeared in exactly three minutes, I'll assume Jazz and Adam are almost home," Alice said, her tone wry for once instead of angry or frustrated. I was bouncing on my toes, anxious to know if Adam was alright and if he had come home because he was ready and not because Jasper had coaxed him into it. Inside the house, I heard Carlisle turn the conversation to the improbablity of a vampire reproducing, using my comment about being a vampire female as a lead in. I didn't pay much attention to them, not even to worry about the Denali's reaction to the coming news of Bella's pregnancy. I was too focused on Adam, on the sound of his heart, the sound of his paws meeting the ground in a pace that matched Jasper's stride. And then he stopped, still over a mile from the house, and phased back into human form. Jasper kept running.

"Leia?" Adam's voice was hesitant when he called, but he must know that I'd be listening for him. I shot off the porch and into the woods beyond the house, passing Jasper on my way. Half a mile from Adam, I slipped into his vision. He was watching for me, eyes wide. I saw myself a few seconds later and slowed enough that when I threw myself into his arms, I didn't knock him to the ground.

"Adam," I said, burying my face in his neck and inhaling the fiery scent of him. It burned, but I didn't care. He slipped one arm under my thighs as I wrapped my legs around his waist. His other arm crushed me against him, his nose buried in my hair. I was almost disappointed to note he was wearing a pair of blue jeans, no doubt courtesy of Jasper.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. I didn't even lift my face from his skin to reply.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," I said, my lips brushing against his skin as I spoke. I nibbled my way along his neck with my lips and then licked him from the hollow of his throat to his jaw. I felt him shudder underneath me and I couldn't help but smile.

"I need to...gah. Leia, I can't think when you do that," he said, his voice deeper than normal and his breath coming out in a gasp.

"Thinking is overrated," I said with a sigh, but I laid my head on his shoulder. He leaned down and kissed me gently.

"You're right, but we can't just ignore what's going on at the house right now," he said, his tone a cross between frustrated and sad.

"We can't, but you can. I can hear everything from here," I told him matter-of-factly, but I felt him shaking his head.

"Let's just get the introductions over with, Leia. Have they broken the news about Bella yet? Maybe I can actually distract them enough to forestall any rash decisions," he suggested. I sighed and shook my head.

"Edward is bringing Bella downstairs now. Carlisle just told them we have something important to show them. The discussion about vampires and reproduction has only been going on for a few minutes. None of them seem to think it's possible, but Carmen is very intrigued by the idea," I told him as he let go of my legs. I dropped down and he slipped an arm around my waist pulling me along beside him as he moved back towards the house.

"Carlisle, you can't mean that Bella is pregnant!" Tanya's exclamation made me wince a bit. We arrived on the porch about the same time as Edward and Bella arrived at the bottom of the stairs. Adam moved into the house silently and we fell in behind them as they moved into the living area. There were a multitude of gasps and Adam noted a couple of wrinkled noses, but Adam had it backwards. We weren't the distraction. Bella's belly, which was displayed prominently by the t-shirt she wore, did a good job of detracting attention from Adam and I. Of all the stunned and excited remarks and questions fired at Carlisle in the next few seconds, there was only one comment on Adam's rather pungent smell.

"Tanya, don't." Edward's low, growled command brought the chaos to a grinding halt as everyone immediately looked at Tanya. Adam noted the bored, almost smug look on her face.

"Don't what? State the obvious? I can't believe you've let this conniving little human trick you into believing that..."

"Tanya, you might want to stop talking," Rosalie said in a low, subdued tone as she placed her hand on Tanya's arm. The redheaded beauty looked at her in shock and then glanced around the room. No doubt she saw the look of warning on the faces of my family and heard Edward's low, rumbling growl. Bella's eyes were wide with shock and she glanced up at Edward.

"Trick you into believing what?" Bella asked in a hushed whisper. Edward snarled softly at Tanya before he turned his face toward's Bella's. His features immediately softened.

"Nothing, Bella. She doesn't know what she's talking about," he said gently, his hand settling over the small bump on her belly. Bella's eyes narrowed and she turned her face back towards Tanya. Adam noticed the flash of irritation in her eyes and he stepped closer to his friend, pulling me with him. I was almost amused at the thought that Adam might feel the need to hold Bella back from attacking Tanya. Bella was shy about a lot of things but her relationship with Edward was not one of them.

_Oh ho! She isn't implying that the baby isn't yours, is she? What is with people today with the talking before thinking? _I thought in Edward's direction as I touched Bella's shoulder in a show of support. Adam saw her chin go up and I felt her square her shoulders before she turned towards Tanya.

"No, she obviously doesn't if she was about to suggest that I would ever cheat on my husband. Trust me, Edward can attest to the fact that he was my first and will always be my only lover," Bella said angrily, the red blush rising in her cheeks no doubt a mixture of embarrassment at having revealed something so intimate and anger that anyone would question her faithfulness to Edward. I grinned, proud that Bella was standing up for herself, despite how much Tanya seemed to intimidate her. Tanya's shocked expression deepened as Eleazar stepped forward, his hands up in the universal gesture for peace.

"I'm sorry, this is just such a shock," he said, glancing back over his shoulder at Tanya, who had the grace to look ashamed. Kate came over and took her hand, squeezing it gently as they allowed Eleazar to speak for them. Carlisle nodded.

"I can understand that, but I assure you Bella's pregnancy is very obviously not...normal. We have no doubts that the child growing inside her is Edward's," he said quietly. Tanya looked up at Edward and my brother scowled.

"Apologize to _her_. She's the one you accused of unfaithfulness," he said sharply. Evidently Tanya had apologized to Edward silently. I was proud of my brother for reprimanding her. Adam saw Tanya's expression go stoic for a moment, as if she might refuse to do the right thing. But she finally nodded and turned her eyes on Bella.

"I'm sorry for implying you might choose another over Edward," she said, rather stiffly. Bella nodded, accepting her apology without comment. I could tell that she was holding back tears. Bella had always had a problem with waterworks when she was angry and I knew she was livid right now. She was also embarrassed, which didn't help matters any.

After Tanya's lackluster apology, the Denali's began firing off question after question about Bella's pregnancy. Carlisle and Edward explained what they could, but it became obvious fairly soon that we didn't know much about this unexpected event. The only certainty was that Bella would have to be changed after the baby was delivered. At the first sign of labor, or as soon as Carlisle was sure that the baby would survive outside the womb, Edward would perform a c-section with the only tool capable of cutting through the vampire skin-like of Bella's uterine wall - his venom coated teeth.


	10. Chapter 10

"You know, the baby is half vampire. Maybe it's not Bella's appetite you need to be concerned about," Adam said softly two weeks later. Edward was kneeling on the floor, his face buried in the couch beside a blanket wrapped Bella. Her hand was stroking gently at his hair as she tried to ignore the IV catheter that was feeding her nutrients. She hadn't been able to keep down a single bite of solid food in four days and liquids were touch and go. I had watched through Adam's eyes as my best friend deteriorated rapidly over the past few days and it was killing me. I heard Dad gasp in his office and Edward's head came off the couch. His expression wavered between fear and hope as he looked directly at Adam and then back at Bella. She looked a little confused.

"Maybe. If she wants to try it. I won't force her into it," Edward said quietly, no doubt answering some unspoken question of dad's. He watched Bella's eyes as the light of understanding began to shine. I didn't even wait for confirmation from Bella. I knew what her answer would be. I darted into the kitchen for the plastic cup I had just placed in the drain two hours earlier.

"Mom! Do we have any straws?" I asked excitedly as Bella declared that she would try anything if we thought it might help her and the baby. Adam had followed me into the kitchen and was opening drawers with wild abandon.

"Nope, nope, what the...?" Adam paused for a moment, looking into a drawer full of baby bibs. I suppressed the urge to giggle, realizing that one of my sisters must have gone shopping recently. More than likely it was Rose, since the bibs were hidden away in a drawer. She was trying to pretend that she wasn't excited about the possibility of a baby in the house. Her temper was even shorter than usual and she spent a lot of time over at the Denali's, but Adam told me he'd seen her looking wistfully at the tiny green baby blanket Esme had crocheted last week. If there was one thing Rose had always wanted, it was a child. I was praying fervently that she could be content, happy even, with the idea of a baby in the family.

Adam finally closed the drawer when Mom told him to look in the pantry for the straws, her voice coming from the living room. The rest of my siblings were all out on a hunt right now, and that was a good thing. Bella would be nervous if all of us were hovering around staring at her when she tried it. Not to mention the teasing Emmett would no doubt subject her to.

Dad was beside me then, taking the cup. I put my hand on his arm and watched as he poured about eight ounces of dark red, viscous liquid from a bag into the cup. It didn't even occur to me that I might react badly to the stuff and though it did smell rather delicious, I had no real urge to drink it. I listened as Edward explained to Bella that the blood was human, not animal. Edward had to quickly disabuse Bella of the notion that Adam was opening a vein for this experiment.

"Anything for you, Bells!" Adam called cheerfully, making Esme reprimand him sharply. I heard a soft, wheezing chuckle from Bella, however, and knew she appreciated the humor.

"Maybe we should heat it up, though? Might make it easier for her to swallow." Adam lowered his voice to say. Dad glanced at me briefly before he nodded and moved to put the cup in the microwave.

"I don't know if this will tempt you, my girl," dad said softly and Adam took that as his cue to wrap me up in his arms. It wasn't necessary, since the warmed blood wasn't any more of a temptation than Bella's scent, but I was glad of Adam's comforting embrace. Once dad was pleased with the temperature, we followed him back into the living room. Adam sat in the overstuffed chair in front of the fireplace and pulled me into his lap. I saw that Edward had helped Bella sit up and she was leaning back against him. I barely repressed the urge to shudder. She looked so fragile. I prayed silently that this was the answer we'd been searching for, because I didn't know how much longer Bella could hold out. I saw Edward grimace and tried my best to steer my wayward thoughts back to more pleasant, hopeful avenues.

"It won't hurt me to try it, Edward. Besides, think of it as practice for the future, right?" Bella said, her voice no more than a whispered croak of sound. She gave him a weak smile and I saw him try to return it, but I could see through Adam's eyes that her words didn't strike him as amusing. Evidently neither did dad, because he sighed as he handed Edward the cup. Bella reached for it, but Edward shook his head.

"Let me hold it," he said gently, no doubt noticing the way her hands shook. Carlisle had found a lid for the cup somewhere, thankfully. Knowing Bella's aversion to the smell of blood, however, I didn't know if that would help. Adam was watching her closely, so I saw the way her eyes darted around nervously before she lifted her head off of Edward's shoulder. Her neck muscles strained with the effort to hold her head up as she sniffed at the end of the straw. She flinched and then made a face.

"Bella, sweetheart, we can find an easier way," Edward said, pulling the cup again from her face. Bella surprised all of us by lurching forward to grab his hand. I heard the contents of the cup sloshing madly as she tugged at it.

"No," she rasped before taking a deep breath. "It smells...good."

"Oh," Edward said, his voice wavering between horrified and relieved. Bella blushed, her expression apologetic as she tugged on the cup again. This time, Edward brought it to her mouth and she took a tentative sip. Her eyes fluttered closed and she immediately took another pull on the straw, a strong one. Adam's glance flickered to Carlisle's face and he looked hopeful.

"How's your stomach? Do you feel nauseated?" he asked. Bella looked up and managed a tiny grin of relief.

"No, I don't feel sick. That's a good thing, right?" she asked, her eyes turning back to Edward. He sighed.

"Maybe. I hope so. We'll have to wait a bit to see," Edward murmured gently. She grimaced and then turned to take another mouthful of blood, her nose wrinkled a bit. It might smell okay and it might taste alright, but she wasn't thrilled by this turn of events. Neither was Edward, but the both of them knew that if this wasn't the solution to the nutritional crisis Bella was having, she wouldn't last another two days. Bella was measuring, according to Carlisle, just over 32 weeks pregnant right now. Human babies could survive this early, but only with special care. We had no idea what kind of special care this baby would need. Regardless, we all knew that Bella would fight tooth and nail to keep them from taking the baby too early just to save her.

"So, does this screw my total, or do we start counting after I'm a vampire?" she asked in a whisper. Edward actually rolled his eyes at this time.

"Nobody died for this, Bella and nobody will. I made you a promise and I intend to keep it," he told her gently. I knew he'd promised that he would never let drink her from a human and all of us would do our damnedest to back him up on it.

"Even if we have to move to Antarctica?" Bella asked, the corners of her mouth turning up in a grin. I saw Edward return it with a genuine, crooked grin of his own.

"No need to visit the penguins, love. It's remote enough here to keep you out of trouble. If you don't believe me, ask Leia. She's still got a perfect record," Edward said tenderly. His words hit me like a blow. No, my record wasn't perfect anymore, but I didn't want Bella to know that. Not now, not ever. I tensed but managed to give Bella what I hoped was a convincing smile. Unfortunately, Adam noticed the change in my posture and there was no way Edward would miss my suddenly darker thoughts. I saw the quick flash of fingers from Edward.

'_Leia, forgive me. That was thoughtless_,' he signed.

_It's alright, Edward. I suppose in the context of the conversation, it's true. I've still never sucked a human dry._ I thought back at him. I tried to keep the bitterness out of my mental tone but I'm not sure I succeeded. Luckily, Bella didn't seem to notice anything. Not so with Adam. His arms tightened around me and a hand on his face told me he was frowning. I had sinking feeling that I wouldn't be able to get out of talking to him about Italy soon, but I didn't want to start a conversation in front of Bella so I brushed my fingers over his lips.

"Tonight," I murmured softly and I felt his frown deepen.

"I'll hold you to that," he said quietly and I relaxed a little bit. Over the next hour, Bella had another cup of blood and she began to show signs of recovery. There was more color in her cheeks and she actually claimed to be hungry. When Edward offered to cook her some eggs, she looked eager to try eating them. Edward said the baby was feeling better as well and I checked the baby's heartrate for Carlisle. He seemed satisfied that we had solved the problem and to Bella's delight, he removed the IV from her hand. In celebration, Edward carried her to their bedroom for the first time in three days.

"Dad, Adam and I are going to take a walk," I told Carlisle half an hour later. Adam was talking on the phone with his sister and we both heard him warn her not to freak out if she sensed anything odd from him tonight. If anything, Adam and Sarah's emotional bond seemed to be even stronger now that they were hundreds of miles apart.

"Finally going to tell him everything, then?" Dad asked gently, tugging me in for a brief hug. I nodded against his shirt and he sighed.

"Taking a life is never something to be proud of, but there was no shame in what you did in Volterra. The strength of will and compassion you showed there, those things I am proud of, and I have no doubt that Adam will see it the same way. And if he doesn't, well, I'll just have your brothers knock some sense into him for you," he said, just a hint of humor in his tone at the last. I heard Edward chuckle at that, interrupting the quiet conversation he was having with Bella about baby names. I lifted my head and showed dad the half smile I wore.

"Love you, dad. Don't wait up," I said, managing to insert a cheeky tone into my voice and then went upstairs to put on my bathing suit under my clothes and grab a couple of towels. I was taking Adam to the hotsprings, where he could at least be comfortable while we discussed darker topics. After telling Sarah to give their dad his love, Adam shut his phone and went into the kitchen to eat the sandwich Esme had just put together for him. I hugged mom and then led Adam out of the house.

"I think I'm ready to tell you about Italy now," I said softly an hour later. Adam and I were neck deep in hot water, my head pillowed on his shoulder. The hot spring was nestled in a grotto half way up a small mountain surrounded by trees. There was a small strip of clear, star sprinkled sky visible above, which Adam had been looking at.

"Okay," he said, his arm tightening around me as his gaze dropped to my face. I lifted a hand and rested my fingers against his face so I could read his expression. He wore his serious frown and I tried to soothe away the lines with the tips of my fingers. It was a futile effort I knew, so I began to talk.

"Do you remember when I told you that Aro asked me to dance for the Volturi during their feeding time?" I asked tentatively. I saw the shift in his field of vision as he nodded.

"And you told me you didn't drink from any of the humans that night," he said cautiously, as if afraid I would tell him that I'd lied when I told him that. I stroked his face again.

"And I didn't. I told you about that incident with Mac and Roan. That's the only time I've tasted human blood," I said softly.

"Then why did you tense up when Edward mentioned your perfect record? I know you aren't ashamed of it and I believe you when you say you haven't killed any humans," Adam said, confusion evident in his deep voice. I winced at his choice of words and tried to pull away from him, but he held me tightly enough that I'd have to hurt him to get away. I rested my forehead against the side of his neck and sighed.

"I came very close to losing control that day. So close that if the little boy hadn't been begging for his momma, I would have given into the temptation," I said darkly. Adam began to stroke the back of my hair, as if urging me to continue.

"Alec was holding a little boy, no more than seven if I had to guess, and made him watch while Jane tortured his mother. I knew I couldn't save them, Adam. But I couldn't let those monsters toy with them like that. I..." I trailed off then, as if unwilling to say the words out loud. As if sensing my hesitance, Adam ventured a guess, no doubt remembering that I told him the Volturi had been angry with me.

"You attacked Jane and Alec?" he ventured and I shook my head.

"No, that would have gotten me killed. I did the only thing I could to ease their suffering. I killed them," I said, making myself say the words this time. I waited what seemed like an eternity for Adam's reaction, though it was only two seconds. He went utterly still beneath me, even his breathing stopped for a full five seconds before he drew in a shuddering breath. I drew some form of comfort in that fact that his grip on me didn't loosen. But when his body started vibrating, a shard of dread skittered down my spine.

"You had to kill the boy and his mother?" The question was voiced in a strained whisper. I curled my fingers against his chest and told him the truth.

"Yes, and not just them. I killed seven people that night, all in the name of mercy. Better a quick, painless death than torture at the hands of sadistic vampires," I said desperately. I was almost ashamed that I tried to justify my actions to him, but Jasper had said those very words to me on more than one occasion and I believed them to be true. Hopefully, so would Adam. I wasn't so sure about that when he pushed me away and scrambled out of the pool only seconds before he phased. It was a close enough thing that a piece of his shredded shorts fell across my shoulder in the water.

I had known that he might be upset enough to phase. My usually laid back mate was hard to rile up, which actually made him rather atypical amongst his packmates. He was slow to anger and slower still to the kind of rage that precipitated an uncontrolled phase. Of course it wasn't only rage that caused it. Any strong negative emotion could trigger the change. I really wished I had Jasper with me right now, so that I might know what exactly Adam was feeling. Or better yet, Edward, to tell me exactly what he was thinking.

Adam hadn't left the vicinity. I heard his large padded paws pacing less than a quarter mile away, punctuated by snarls and the occasional hair raising howl. The fact that he was still nearby gave me hope that he wasn't going to leave me. I knew how ridiculous that fear was, knowing what being his imprint meant, but it was still impossible not to worry just a little. I didn't go to him, wanting to give him time to sort out his thoughts and calm down enough to revert back to his human form. Instead, I left the water and toweled off before pulling my clothes back on.

"Lei-love, come here," Adam said ten minutes later when he had gained enough control to change back to his human form. The endearment and the soft, apologetic tone of his voice eased the worst of my fears and I darted out of the grotto to where he stood, several hundred yards down the side of the mountain. When he immediately gathered me in his arms and buried his face in my damp hair, I relaxed completely. No matter what he thought, I knew we would be okay.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you when I phased. I'm not angry with you, Leia. I'm horrified that you were put into the position to make that kind of decision. I know you cherish human life as much as your father and to be forced to take not one, but seven, it must have destroyed you," he whispered brokenly, his body shuddering. I felt the warm dampness of tears against my scalp and was overcome when I realized Adam was crying. Each tear he shed was precious to me because he could grieve the loss of life and innocence in a way I never could. I tilted my head up and pulled his head down so that I could kiss the salty tears from his cheeks.

"Thank you. It took me a long time to come to terms with my actions. I still struggle, so it eases my heart to know you aren't disgusted or revolted by what I chose to do," I said, my voice low and filled with all the love I felt for this man. He swept me into his arms and rained kisses on over my face.

"You acted out of compassion, Leia. There is no shame in that, despite the tragedy of lost life. They were dead already, my love, you just put a quick end to their suffering. My beautiful Angel of Mercy," he said softly, rocking me gently in his arms. I was shocked by the last, but should not have been surprised that he would color me in such an idealized manner. I opened my mouth to tenderly disabuse him of that notion, but he silenced me with a quick kiss.

"Don't, Leia. You will never see yourself the way others do, I know, but trust me when I say you possess a lot of angelic qualities. Compassion, mercy, love, selflessness. That's not to say you don't have an impish side as well," he said, his voice suddenly lighter, slightly teasing. I raised an eyebrow.

"Impish?" I asked with a half smile. He nodded, his hair brushing against the side of my face. I felt his grin with my fingers.

"You're mischievous, unpredictable and have a clear precedent for getting yourself into trouble," he said with a low chuckle. It seemed as if the previous subject might be dropped for now and I was grateful. I gave him what I hoped was a seductive smile.

"I happen to think those are admirable qualities, my love. In fact, what say we find out just what kind of trouble we can get into before morning," I suggested. His low growl of approval sent a shiver of desire through me and he began trotting back up the slope towards the grotto.

"I don't think we had a chance to properly appreciate the hot springs, did we?"


	11. Chapter 11

"Arrgh!" Edward groaned when Carlisle announced that Bella had a cracked rib. I darted into Dad's study, which was equipped with all manner of medical equipment now, including an xray machine, and went to put my hand on Bella's shoulder to comfort her. I quickly learned it was only Edward who needed comforting. Bella didn't share his dismay. In fact, she defended her offspring.

"There's not enough room in there now, Edward. He can't help it when he has to stretch," she said, one hand on her belly and the other on Edward's cheek. The baby was an active little thing now that it was getting proper nutrients and it took a toll on Bella's body. Her stomach was almost completely black and blue from the baby moving around, not to mention the rib. I really hoped Bella went into labor soon. As much as I worried about the birth and Bella's subsequent change, I thought it would be better for all of us if we could just get it over with. My thought was punctuated by another gasp of pain from Bella.

"Please, for your mother's sake and mine, please settle down," Edward said softly, dropping to his knees so he could address Bella's tummy directly. It would have been endearing and funny to see if Edward's expression wasn't so desperately serious as he put both hands carefully over his growing child. I saw Bella's hands cover Edward's and was about to withdraw, both from the room and from her vision, feeling like an intruder on a very intimate moment. But then Edward blinked and his brow furrowed in confusion as he looked around the room and then up at Bella.

"What are you thinking about right now?" he asked slowly, his confused expression changing to a hopeful one.

"Actually, I was wishing I had a camera so I could capture this moment," Bella said, her voice soft and loving. Edward's expression changed again, the hopefulness morphing into what I could only describe as awe. He laid his ear against Bella's stomach between their hands and inhaled sharply.

"Say something else!" Edward exclaimed excitedly. At that moment, Bella saw a flash of light and I heard several soft clicks. She looked up and saw Rose holding a camera. We watched as Rose gave Bella a very uncharacteristic shy smile and a shrug. Bella's gaze dropped away from our sister quickly, however, because Edward was patting her stomach gently.

"Edward, what is it?" Bella asked, just a hint of worry in her tone. I darted across the room and put my hand on Rosalie's elbow. She looked down at me and I put my hand against her face. She was still smiling. I patted her cheek and grinned up at her before I turned her face back towards Edward and Bella. Carlisle was standing beside them with a roll of bandaging and some medical tape in his hands. His own expression was curious as he watched Edward's face light up with joy.

"I can hear the baby's thoughts," he said in a whisper, awe coloring his tone. Everyone else in the room gasped, myself included. Bella looked down at Edward with an expression that matched her husband's joy. I hugged Rose's arm to me, unable to curb my excitement at this newest development. I smelled the salt of Bella's tears before Rose saw them rolling down her cheeks. She put one hand on Edward's face.

"What is he thinking?" She wanted to know.

"He's happy. And oh, Bella, he loves you. He, or she, absolutely adores you," Edward said, awe in his voice and his face a mask of wonder. I was surprised there wasn't a flash of golden light or something equally fantastical at that moment to signify the difference that simple fact made with Edward. Despite his admission that he wanted the baby and his loving support of his wife through her pregnancy, he had been struggling to understand Bella's almost fanatical love for the child growing inside her. Perhaps now that he had something other than genes in common with his son or daughter, their shared love for Bella, he could fully appreciate the life that had been created.

"Of course he's happy, all warm and safe and loved," Bella cooed softly, caressing the side of the belly. Rosalie took another picture as Edward tilted his head a little more, as if trying to get closer to the small being growing inside his wife. Edward hummed softly, Bella's lullaby. I found myself wishing the rest of the family was here to witness this, but Esme and Alice were over at the Denali's and the rest of the boys, including Adam, had gone hunting.

"He loves the sound of my voice," Edward said happily after a moment, lifting his head so that he could share a joyful smile with Bella. She sniffled and brushed at the tears on her cheek with one hand, her own smile a bit watery but no less happy.

"Of course he loves your voice. It's the most beautiful voice in the world," she told Edward and he stood up to pull her into an embrace. Bella winced and Edward was immediately contrite.

"I'm sorry love, I completely forgot. Let Carlisle tape you up. I know that's painful," he said, giving her lips a caste kiss and her belly a gentle pat before he stepped aside to let Carlisle work. I found myself picked up and swung around by my overjoyed brother. He kissed me soundly on the mouth and then put me down to do the same to Rosalie. I heard Rose's soft giggle and I was amazed by her attitude change. So much so that once Edward moved back towards Bella, I grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the room and down the stairs.

"Rose, what..." my quiet question was met by Rosalie's fingers on my lips.

"Emmett sat me down and helped me put things into perspective," Rose said softly. "I can either be jealous and bitter over my own lost causes, or I can be a part of the miracle as it happens. I know I'll never get anywhere near that baby if I don't come to some kind of peace about it. Bites to have brothers that can suss out your every thought and emotion, really it does. But this is the closest I'll ever come to experiencing motherhood myself so I'm going to be the best aunt in the world and hope I get the chance to be part of raising her. Or him," she said, just a hint of a quiver in her voice.

"I have a feeling Bella and Edward will need all the help they can get, Rose," I told her gently.

"Exactly," she said, nodding her head firmly against my hand, which was currently on her face to gauge her expressions. I leaned up and kissed her cheek, then and turned to dart back up the stairs. I paused on the bottom stair, however, and giggled.

"You might have a bit of a fight on your hands, Rose. Alice has already bought the 'World's Greatest Aunt' t-shirt for herself," I told her and then continued up the stairs as Rose huffed and started muttering,

"We'll just have to see about that."

As I moved back into Carlisle's study, glad that Bella was no longer gritting her teeth against the pain of taping up her ribs, Edward was helping her down from the examination table and Carlisle was taking inventory of his blood supply.

"I can't believe you're letting your sisters fight over the best aunt title, my girl. Thought sure you'd be smugly announcing your right to it," Carlisle said with a chuckle. Bella saw him turn towards me with an amused smile. I couldn't help return it with a rather smug smile of my own. Edward snorted, knowing exactly why I was letting my sister's fight over that honor. I decided to let them in on the secret, too.

"Best Aunt's nothing. I've got godmother on lock."

The sound of Bella's laughter, interspersed with groans as her mirth made her ribs ache, was music to my ears as I danced out of the office and up to my room.

"I know you're convinced it's a boy, but what if you have a little girl?" Rose's question was asked one night two days later as we were all gathered around on and around the couch. Edward was perched on the back of the couch, his legs braced on either side of Bella as she leaned back with her head against his stomach. It was as comfortable a postition as Bella seemed to get these days, what with the bruising on her belly and now the sore ribs. Rose and Emmett were cuddled together on the floor where Emmett was playing some game on his laptop. Adam and I were on the other end of the couch, him sprawled out reading a book with me tucked in beside him. Alice and Jasper had slipped away a few hours ago for some couple time and Carlisle and Esme were on a trip to get more blood before tomorrow's anticipated event.

After much discussion, Carlisle and Edward both agreed that the baby should be developed enough to deliver safely and Bella insisted that she was ready for the change, even if Edward was still uneasy about it. Edward did think tomorrow was fitting, though, since it was also Bella's birthday. Bella hadn't really commented on the exact date except to complain that she was going to turn 19 before she was changed into a vampire. She hadn't dwelt on the fact, though, since she was anxious to make sure the baby was ready before Edward delivered him. Or her, as the conversation turned.

"We're still talking over names," Bella said, looking up at Edward with a wicked grin. Edward raised an eyebrow at her and snorted softly.

"Not true. Everytime I suggest something, you shoot it down," Edward said, his tone was offended but his were eyes dancing with amusement.

"I don't shoot them down. I just don't think they sound right. The name needs to be as unique as our child," Bella said, lifting her hand and resting it on Edward's knee. She looked back over at Rose "We really do want to honor our parents, though. Just in a less than obvious way. So far we've come up with Renesmee Carlie. Like Renee and Esme together and then like Carlisle and Charlie," Bella stated. Edward's grin didn't falter but he shook his head.

"I like Renesmee. It's beautiful. But I'm not sure about Carlie. I like the sentiment behind it, but I'm leaning towards Elizabeth as a middle name," he said quietly. I knew Edward's real mother's name had been Elizabeth and though he didn't remember her very well, she still held a special place in his heart. Bella knew this as well, but thought the name Elizabeth wasn't unusual enough for their special child. Which made no sense, really, since Bella was adamant that their child was a boy and that his name would be Edward Masen. On that note, I decided to help out Edward's cause a bit.

"Is that why you've taken to calling the baby Lizzy when you talk to her, Edward?" I asked curiously, making Bella's head turn quickly in my direction. I switched to Adam's vision. As if knowing I needed his eyes for a moment, he looked up from his book so I could see Edward's slightly panicked expression. Bella didn't know about the nickname for their child and I knew that once she found out, she'd think it was adorable.

_Oops, did she not know about that? Sometimes I forget where her hearing range stops._ I thought at Edward as innocently as possible. He flashed a handsign that wasn't repeatable in polite company. It made me giggle for a moment, but I could already smell the salt of Bella's tears. She cried at the drop of a hat these days. Between the hormones and the pain she must be in constantly, I wasn't really surprised, but it tended to drive the men in the house insane, especially Edward. But in this case, they were happy tears.

"You call the baby Lizzy?" Bella asked in a choked up voice. Edward nodded solemnly, reaching down to brush at the tears trickling down her cheeks.

"Sometimes. I know how you like calling the baby Masen when you're talking to him or her. I just...well..." Edward trailed of, unsure how to defend himself in this situation. I rolled my eyes, knowing that the simple fact that he had given their baby a nickname would make Bella estatic. I was proven right when Bella's smile threatened to break her face in half.

"Oh, Edward, I don't mind! I really like that name. It, it fits. If we have a girl, we can name her Renesmee Elizabeth, Lizzy for short," Bella said, excited despite the tears in her voice. Edward looked torn.

"Do you really like it?" he asked uncertainly and then his eyes flicked over to Emmett, who no doubt had some sarcastic comment running through his head about Edward being totally whipped. Emmett had been uncharacteristically quiet over the last few weeks. When I'd asked him why, he'd shrugged and said he was practicing for when the baby came. Evidently Rose had told him that baby's were extremely sensitive to loud noises and that if Emmett ever woke the baby up with his 'usual loud antics' (assuming that the baby slept), she would castrate him. I thought that was a little harsh, but Rose was handling her excitement about the baby by reading all the 'experts' and telling everyone how the baby should be raised. Not that any of us, except Emmett, took anything she said seriously. I doubted this baby would follow any of the normal child development guidelines.

Edward rolled his eyes at Emmett before turning his full attention back to Bella, who was nodding. Edward's expression turned happy and he leaned down again to kiss his wife, one hand flashing a 'Thank you' in my direction. Adam leaned into kiss my cheek and chuckle.

"My beautiful little trouble maker," he murmured in my ear. I turned to smile up at him.

"I prefer to think of myself as a peace maker," I said softly. Adam tugged gently on one of my curls before turning back to his book. Emmett was still playing his game and Rose had run from the room to find her phone. I heard her call Esme and let her know that the girl name was finally picked. No doubt Esme would come home with a pink monogramed diaper bag to match the blue one already waiting in the nursery with Edward Masen's name embroidered on it. Never let it be said the Cullen's weren't prepared for every possibility. No doubt Bella would complain about the waste of money in buying one set of things that would never be used.

I heard the rustle as Bella shifted on the couch, either to get up or just to turn towards Edward. I also heard the slosh and tumble of the cup that had been in Bella's lap as it headed towards the floor. Adam looked up and I lunged forward to catch it before it hit the floor. I grimaced when the top came off in my hands, spilling what little blood that had been left in the cup over my hands. I was only slightly tempted to lick the lukewarm droplets off my hands.

"Oh, Lei, I'm sorry," Bella said fervently. Edward had his arm braced across her chest or she would no doubt have lunged after the fallen cup as well. I shook my head and laughed for Bella's sake.

"No worries. I'm just going to go wash this off. Did anything get on the floor?" I asked, keeping my voice light. Adam stood from behind me.

"I'll get that. Go clean up, Lei-love," he said gently, his tone letting me know he was concerned. I turned a smile on him before I wrapped my shirt tail around my hands and flew up the stairs to the bathroom. I didn't want to leave a blood trail through the house. Too bad I'd have to burn the shirt. It was one of my favorites.

As I washed my hands, I heard the rest of the family, except for Adam, leave the living room. By the time I returned downstairs, Adam was done wiping down the floor with some kind of bleach based cleanser. He moved into the kitchen to get rid of the soiled rags and I followed him. I perched on the edge of the kitchen counter and he moved between my legs. I leaned against his warm chest and pressed my ear against his heart.

"Hi," he said gently.

"Hi," I said happily, my hands skimming over the thin fabric covering his well defined, muscular back. I hummed contentedly until he slipped his hands under my thighs and hitched my legs around his waist. I turned my head up towards him with smile that he immediately captured with his mouth. As always, I felt an overwhelming desire get as close as possible to my mate. It was getting harder and harder not to drag him off somewhere private and have my wicked way with him. Two things held me back.

One, I knew there was a chance I could hurt Adam if I ever lost control. It wasn't as bad as Edward's fear for Bella had been, since Adam was a lot sturdier than the average human, but that didn't mean I couldn't shatter his bones in a moment of passion. The second thing was timing. It wasn't something we could just fumble into spontaneously like most couples. It meant more than that and we didn't want to take that step in our relationship when there were so many other things distracting us. Like Bella's pregnancy.

"Alright, I promise to go get a snack if you swear to me you won't leave this bed until I get back," I heard Edward saying as Adam finally pulled away from me. He rested his forehead against mine and inhaled deeply. I pulled one hand around to cup his face, enjoying the warmth of him as I listened to Edward and Bella try to compromise. I knew Adam could hear them because Bella's next comment made him chuckle.

"What if I have to go to the bathroom?"

"Then call Leia to help you," he said immediately.

"I can go to the bathroom by myself," Bella grumbled. Edward sighed.

"Promise me, or I won't go," he said. Bella was quiet for a few moments, no doubt thinking over her options.

"Fine. I promise I won't get out of the bed without calling Leia to walk with me," she said finally. Her response seemed to satisfy Edward because he kissed her cheek and then kissed her belly.

"Be good for your mama, little Lizzy," he said softly. And then, in an even softer tone he addressed me.

"Keep an ear out for her, Leia," he said.

_I'm almost insulted you had to ask. You know I'll listen. If she's not asleep in a few minutes, I'll go up and sit with her. Don't come back until you're full, Edward. You'll be face first in her blood tomorrow and it will be hard enough without the extra hunger._ I thought at him, trying for my sternest mind tone.

"You'll have to go when I get back if you plan on staying in the house during…" he trailed off, as if unwilling to name the event. I gave him a mental nod, knowing he was right. I was going to be present and would be watching through Adam's eyes. As one of only three people in the house that Bella's blood wouldn't send into a near frenzy of bloodlust, he was going to help Edward and Carlisle with the delivery.

Edward finally left the house and I heard Bella sigh and pat her belly.

"Don't worry, Masen. He'll be back before we know it."


	12. Chapter 12

"Lei?" Bella's sleepy voice drifted to me through the lilting music from coming the speakers our room. Adam was sleeping soundly and I had the music turned so low that most humans wouldn't even know the track on the CD was progressing. It was only us and Bella in the house at present. Edward had been gone for almost three hours and Rose and Emmett had decided to go visit the hotsprings. I extracted myself from Adam's embrace and moved out of our room and down to Bella's door.

"What's up, Bells?" I asked, pushing open the door. I slipped into her vision and she was looking at the mirror on the closet door. I smiled. She was always doing that, finding a mirror or some reflective surface in case I borrowed her sight to see. It was as close I as I could come to actually seeing my best friend. Her brow was furrowed slightly, as if she were troubled by something.

"Um, nothing, really. I just need to, ya know. And I promised Edward…" she trailed off and I grinned, understanding her need. I stepped closer to the bed and held out my hand to help her off the bed. She slid to the edge and carefully put both feet flat on the floor, slipping her warm hand into mine. It was a testament to her lack of confidence in her own balance that she accepted my offer of help. As bad as Bella's balance had always been, it was three times worse now that she was carrying around an extra twenty pounds of baby weight.

"Have a nice nap?" I asked her as we moved out into the hall and down towards the bathroom. All the rooms in the house except mine had an ensuite, but seeing as none of us really needed a toilet, the only one in the house was in the hall bathroom. Fortunately, Esme had included it in her design on the off chance a human would visit the house.

"It was okay. The baby woke me, though. She's so uncomfortable. Edward says she tries not to move much because she knows it hurts me, but she's so restless today," Bella said, one hand on her lower back. "I think I must have a nasty bruise back there. It aches like crazy."

"Well, look on the bright side. Four more days and you won't have to worry about that anymore," I told her gently, refraining from mentioning the fact that she was referring to the baby as a she today. She'd never done that before. No doubt Edward's unabashed hopes that the baby was female was starting to rub off on her.

"One more day, Leia, not four," she said sharply as we moved into the bathroom. I sighed softly.

"Four more days, Bella, or have you forgotten?" I asked hesitantly, unable to keep just a hint of the fear I was feeling for my friend and sister out of my tone. She stopped at the sink, looking up into the mirror over it. She shook her head, nothing but determination in her eyes.

"I haven't forgotten, Leia. I might not be looking forward to three days in pain, but I promise you, I'm looking forward the results. I'm not afraid of the pain so much as I'm afraid for Edward. I wish they would just give me the morphine. I don't see why they don't think it will help, at least for a little while," she said with a frustrated sigh.

"Because they tried it with me," I whispered, shuddering lightly at the memory of those three days in the back of a van speeding through Canada and Alaska.

"I thought you were in a coma when they changed you. You said you couldn't feel your body through most of the transformation," Bella said curiously. I wrinkled my nose, jumping up to sit on the edge of the sink. I kicked the door shut with my foot and left Bella's vision as she began to take care of her needs. She knew I would respect her privacy, at least on the visual front, and we were long past the discussion about how having a door between us wouldn't stop me from hearing anything anyway. The discussion about my change, however, I'd been putting off for a while. I was the only one that had never given her all the details and I decided it was now or never. I knew her well enough to know that nothing I could say would change her mind.

"I was in a lock down state, a kind of coma. But I had regained all my senses except for my sight, which as you know, I never had to begin with. That includes my ability to feel pain, if only from the neck up. I even had a few working nerves in my chest and along my arms. Not that we knew that before the venom hit," I said with a grimace.

"And the morphine?" Bella asked, a hint of worry in her tone now. I tilted my head down, running my fingers over the polished marble countertop, marking the imperfections in the 'smooth' surface as I pondered how much to tell Bella. I heard Adam stirring from down that hall and knew without a doubt that he was listening in. Two birds with one stone, I supposed. Best get this conversation out of the way now and then I'd never had to relive it again.

"When Dad and Edward liberated me from the hospital, the first thing they did was shoot my IV full of enough morphine to knock out a baby elephant. Needless to say, I was out like a light before they even started removing me from all the machines. I'm still trying to get all the details of my rescue out of the two of them. Who knows when you might need to steal a patient from the hospital without arousing suspicion?" I asked with a nervous laugh.

"Leia," Bella said with an exasperated sigh. I huffed softly, knowing she wasn't letting me out of telling her everything. She was, however, finished. She stepped up to wash her hands and then let me escort her back towards her room. She winced and rubbed at her back again. I leaned down to press my ear to her belly, listening for little Lizzy, or Masen's, heartbeat. It was a little elevated, but not too much. I'd mention it to Edward when he got back.

"Okay, continue," Bella said when she was settled back against the pile of pillows on her bed. Adam cleared his throat softly from the doorway and Bella looked up to see him standing with one hand against the doorframe, his eyes studying me where I was sitting Indian style on the foot of the bed.

"Come on in, baby. I don't think Bella will mind if I only have to tell this story once," I told him, patting the bed beside me. Instead, he pulled over the papasan chair from the corner and sprawled across it. I could hear the wicker beneath the cushion creak under the strain of Adam's heavy body, but I didn't hear any ominous cracks, so I didn't think it would come apart under him. Then he patted his lap. I shook my head, fearing that the addition of my more than solid weight would be the end of Bella's favorite chair. He pouted a bit but didn't move.

"Always wanted one of these things. I might have a steal it from you after your change, Bells. Not like you'll need it for comfort anymore," Adam said smugly. Bella rolled her eyes at him and then smiled.

"Sure, sure. But only when you buy me that rocking chair you promised. I'll need something to curl up in with Lizzy or Masen," she said with a wistful smile. I knew she was hoping that she would have the chance to actually sit and rock her baby to sleep. There were so many unknown factors, like whether or not Bella would be safe to be around the baby or if the baby would even sleep. But I knew Adam was done with the handmade rocker and crib he'd been working on with Emmett's help over the last week and a half. The two of them would be presenting the gifts tomorrow after Bella's birthday breakfast.

"I'm sure I'll find something when Leia and I head into town next week to send off Sarah's birthday present. Now, Leia, I believe you were saying…" he trailed off, looking at me with a cajoling, yet tender, smile. I sighed and nodded.

"They waited until we were over the border into Canada to bite me, just in case we had any trouble at the crossing. Not that Alice had seen anything, but you can never be too careful. It was a medical transport van, so I doubt they asked too many questions. According to Edward, not twenty seconds after Carlisle bit my neck, my mind was fully awake. The pain from the venom was…excruciating enough to override that happy, blissful drugged out state. Trust me, if I could have screamed, I would have."

I spent the next half hour describing my experience in the back of that speeding van and answering questions from both Adam and Bella. Both seemed distressed by hearing the account of my pain, but accepting that it was the price I'd been willing to pay to get my new family.

"I won't lie to you. There were times during those three days when I screamed in my mind for Edward to put me out of my misery, but I would gladly go through the fire tens time over knowing the life and love waiting for me on the other side," I told them both earnestly, reaching over to cover Bella's hand with my own. Adam removed himself from his chair and came over to the bed, sitting on the edge and pulling me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed his neck gently, just over his pulse.

I was lost in the warmth of Adam's embrace for only a few moments when I heard Bella gasp sharply. Adam immediately looked over and saw her doubled over her rounded belly, eyes squinched shut and mouth turned down in an expression of pain.

"Bells? Hon, are you okay?" I asked, slipping out of Adam's lap to move closer to her. She straightened with what seemed to be a great effort and panted slightly as she answered.

"I think…so?" The expression of pain slowly faded from her face and she lay back with a sigh of relief. I leaned down and listened to the baby's heart rate again and was alarmed to note it was elevated even more than the last time. I felt a tiny appendage press against my ear, a swift punch that made Bella gasp again. I leaned back quickly and Adam looked up at Bella.

"Did he kick or punch you a second ago like that?" I asked softly. Bella shook her head, eyes wide with pain and no little bit of fear.

"Leia, I think…maybe…that was a contraction? I've been hurting in my back and low all day and every time it gets bad, Masen gets more restless," she said. I felt Adam go rigid behind me and I fought back a wave of fear myself. There was no way Bella was having this baby naturally. The amniotic sac was not likely to break on its own and the baby was still in a heads up position. Carlisle and Edward had both agreed that contractions would probably just distress the baby into a struggle for freedom, resulting in Bella's quick and painful death. Which was why they'd planned to take the baby before what they thought might be a reasonable 'due date'.

"Adam, call Alice and Rose. I'll call Edward and Dad," I said, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. Carlisle was six hours away at the least and Edward, hopefully, was already on his way back. Despite telling him to drink his fill, I knew that being gone more than three hours was pushing his ability to be away from Bella, especially in her current condition.

"Leia?" Bella queried in a high, frightened voice. I fought down my own desire to panic and gave her my best reassuring smile.

"It's fine, Bella. Just keep as calm as you can and talk to Masen. Edward says that calms him down, hearing your voice," I told her softly. I pulled my phone out of my pocket as Bella leaned down and began rubbing her belly, talking in loving, hushed tones to her baby. Adam was already down the hall in our room dialing Alice's phone. I slipped off the bed and let myself out onto the balcony, making sure to close the door behind me so Bella didn't get a chill. It was still early fall, but the weather in Alaska was a lot cooler than it was in Washington.

"What's wrong?"

I should have been expecting Edward's grim question. I could hear the sound of wind rushing past so I knew he was running.

"Are you on your way home?" I asked instead of answering his question right away, keeping my voice light and hopeful. I heard him growl softly.

"I'm ten minutes out. What's wrong?" He asked again. I hesitated for a moment, not wanting to panic him if he was almost home. Unfortunately, Bella's low cry of pain was audible to him through the insulated glass and the phone even if he probably didn't hear the low snapping sound that accompanied it. "Leia, what is going on?"

"We think Bella's in labor," I said, knowing he wouldn't thank me for keeping the news from him now that he'd heard her distress.

"Oh god, have you called Carlisle?" Edward asked, his voice laced with the panic I'd been avoiding. In an attempt to soothe him, I managed to keep my own voice calm.

"He's my next call. You just get here quick, okay? She's only had one bad pain. The baby's just restless," I told him.

"You stay next to her, Leia. Get Adam to call Carlisle and you keep your attention on Bella. If the baby doesn't calm down soon…" he trailed off and growled in frustration. "I'll be there in five minutes."

After he ended the call, I hurried back into the room and crawled back into the bed with Bella. Adam was talking with Rose, now. He hadn't been able to get Alice on the phone. We'd have to try her again later.

"Bella, Edward's only five minutes away. Was that another contraction or was that the baby?" I asked, running my hands over her belly. Bella groaned softly.

"The baby. She stretched and I swear I felt something pop. It's a little hard to breathe. Maybe another rib," she said, and her voice was strained. I grimaced. If Edward was forced to take the baby before Carlisle got back, a broken rib was the least of our worries.

"Do I need to call Carlisle?" Adam asked from the door. I nodded at him, glad he was so quick to offer. The next five minutes were spent keeping Bella from panicking while Adam explained the situation to Carlisle. The baby would be quick to pick up on her distress and that would only make things worse.

"We need to move her to the study. Rose is coming back, but Emmett's going to head to the Denali's until he hears from us. I didn't get ahold of Alice," Adam said after hanging up with Dad. I nodded, slipping off the bed and letting Adam lean down and gather Bella into his arms. She moaned softly, no doubt in response to the newly broken rib, but Adam didn't falter, moving confidently through the house to Carlisle's study slash labor and delivery suite. By the time Bella was settled, Edward had arrived in a rush of cold air. Bella looked him over and I noticed the crazy windblown hair and the damp clothes. He hadn't bothered to run around the lake, evidently.

"Feeling better?" Bella asked lightly, only the slight quiver in her voice giving away her nervousness. Edward was immediately hovering over her, his hands molding to Bella's stomach tenderly. That didn't stop Bella's hiss. He jerked his head up in concern.

"Cold hands," she explained and Edward grimaced, but didn't stop his examination, which was as thorough as any obstetrician's exam. Bella gasped and hissed a couple of more times before he was done. Adam had quietly excused himself at one point, despite the fact that he would be seeing Bella naked in a short while anyway. By the time he was done and Bella's clothes were back in place, Rose had arrived. She hovered in the doorway as Edward explained his findings.

"I think you are in the early stages of labor. Your body is responding just like it would for a normal delivery, complete with dilation of the cervix. Not much, but there's enough change from this morning to say you're progressing," he said with a heavy sigh. "What did Carlisle say?"

"Basically, gauge the baby's reaction to the contractions and make decisions from there. If you think the baby will stay calm until he gets home, that's fine, but he said he trusts you to do what needs to be done if it comes down to it," Adam said, stepping up behind Rosalie. For once, she didn't scowl, sneer or snarl at him. She just moved aside and let him back into the room. Bella was grimacing in pain, one arm wrapped around her middle just above her rounded belly. Edward reached out and gently stroked her hair.

"Rib bothering you?" he asked softly.

"A little," Bella said softly.

_You might need to know that the baby broke another one, we think._ I thought at Edward. That set him off in another mild panic and I saw Bella glare at me through Adam's eyes, knowing that I was the one to tell him. I shrugged at her_._

"One wrong move and it could puncture a lung. I don't know about you, but I'd rather this not become an episode of _Trauma: Life in the Cullen's Top Notch Labor and Delivery Suite slash Dad's office_. Things are going to be heartwrenching enough as it is," I told her as Edward pulled out the portable xray machine.

Bella sighed and I leaned in and gave her a careful hug. Then I leaned down and checked the baby's heartrate again. It was about the same as it had been earlier and I told Edward so. He touched my shoulder in thanks and then cut the lights so he could take pictures of Bella's ribs. He was just finishing up when Bella had another contraction. It was milder than the first, but the baby's reaction was, according to Edward, blind panic. The baby attempted to thrash, despite the limited space he or she had to move around in, causing Bella no little amount of agony as her insides were kicked and punched by the super strong creature in her body. Eventually, Edward and Bella together managed to sooth the baby, but we all knew it would likely be the same for every contraction.

"Bella, I think it's time. She doesn't understand what's going on. She's scared and I'm afraid what she'll do if she panics again," Edward said, his voice filled with fear that he didn't even bother to try to hide from her. She looked up at him and took his face in both hands.

"I understand Edward. Let's get this over with. I want to see our baby," she said gently, stroking the shadowed skin under his eyes with her thumbs. Edward closed his eyes as if drawing strength from her touch and then he nodded.

"Leia, I don't think..." he trailed off, looking up from the surgical tray that held the tools needed to give Bella the spinal block needed so she wouldn't feel the pain of her emergency cesarean section. A surgery that would spill a lot of her blood. I might be able to restrain myself from attacking Bella, but it would require me leaving the room anyway, so what was the point in staying? I moved over to Bella's side and kissed her forehead. She grabbed me in a fierce, for a human, embrace.

"Thank you so much, Leia, for everything. Take care of Edward and the baby for me, while I'm...indisposed," she said, the last word containing just a hint of fear mingled with no small amount of dark humor. I heard Adam's chuckle and Edward's groan. I leaned back and winked at her.

"Don't worry. Three days and you'll be taking care of them yourself," I said, all the confidence I had in my brother's ability to deliver the baby and turn Bella safely evident in my firm tone. I made sure it was at the front of mind as well, so Edward could see it. He reached over and squeezed my shoulder in silent thanks as Bella hugged me again. She released me with a gasp as the pain in her ribs became too much and I leaned down to speak to my niece, or nephew.

"We love you, little one. Be good for your momma and daddy just a little longer and you'll be out before you know it," I said softly before I kissed Bella's belly and pulled away. I straightened and beelined for Adam, managing to give him a quick kiss before Edward pulled me into a fierce hug. Nothing was said, but I gently stroked his back, hoping to soothe some of the terror I knew he was fighting. He spared the three seconds it took to squeeze me tighter and then kiss the top of my head before he sent me out of the room with Rose.

Rose went down to the kitchen to run a hot water bath. As much as I wanted to hold my niece or nephew first thing, I refused to put her, or him, in danger by testing my will power while they were covered in Bella's blood. So I went down the hall to the nursery and closed the door. Esme and Edward had spent time over the last two weeks doing a top down remodel of the room. It had its own separate climate control so the connecting door to Edward and Bella's room and the one to the hall were airtight, as were the windows. It also had a small kitchenette including a full sized sink, a dorm sized fridge and a microwave. All of the baby's meals would be prepared here, whether they be blood or formula.

I set about making an iron-rich formula and then pulled a bag of blood from the fridge. I wanted to have both options available just in case. Jasper had brought up an excellent point just last week and about the baby possibly having sharp teeth from the get go. So he and Alice had scoured Fairbanks for a supply of sturdy metal cups that had fitted lids. Jasper had carved a small hole into each lid for the baby to drink from. Emmett's amused comment about the poor marketing potential for vampbaby sippy cups had gotten him a thunderous smack on the back of the head from Rose, but it had made Bella giggle and Edward had smiled.

I set a pint of blood to warm in the microwave as I watched through Adam's eyes as Edward deftly administered Bella's spinal block. Then he had Adam pin up a sheet so Bella wouldn't have to watch the actual procedure. Just because the smell of blood didn't make her queasy anymore, didn't mean the sight of her own belly flayed open and bleeding wouldn't cause her to hyperventilate. Edward wasn't willing to take that chance and Bella hadn't made even a token protest when he suggested it. Adam's original job had been to help keep Bella calm and then carry the baby downstairs to bathe him or her once Carlisle and Edward started Bella's change. He was now Edward's second, there to monitor Bella's vital signs, try to keep her calm, deliver the baby to Rose and then help Edward with the change and cleanup.

I was beginning to relax, sure that things would go off without a hitch for once, when Bella had another contraction. I knew something had gone wrong when I heard Edward curse. Adam had both Bella's hands in his own and had leaned up to look over the sheet at Edward. His face was close to Bella's stomach and his expression was pained.

"I think the placenta's ruptured. The baby is suffocating," he said in a tortured tone. Bella screeched, a sound I would never have thought her capable of making. It was a sound of utter distress. I had to stop myself from running down to the room, desparate to help my dearest friend. But I couldn't. I heard a quiet metallic groan and quickly dropped the mangled cup I was holding into the sink and clenched my hands together in a prayerful pose. I'd drop to my knees and beg if I thought it would help.

"Get him out now! Edward, out!" she shouted, trying to twist out of Adam's grip. Adam leaned over her and got right in her face.

"Calm down, Bella. He's gonna take care of the baby and you, too. Shh, Bells," he said. His warm soothing voice managed to calm me down, if not Bella. Any indecision Edward might have harbored over the whole procedure went out the window as his wife's distress escalated. I heard a snap and a gasp of pain from Bella. Another rib? And then there was a metallic clink as Edward grabbed something from the surgical tray. The scapel, no doubt. I was glad Adam's attention was on Bella as Edward sliced the skin over Bella's womb and then bent his teeth to deliver the baby. The whole process couldn't have taken ten seconds before Edward's exclamation made Adam look up.

"Lizzy!" Edward's relieved and joyful announcement was followed by a soft, gasping sigh as the baby took her first breath. Edward was holding up a wriggling, blood covered infant - a girl with a head full of dark curls. Renesmee Elizabeth Cullen.

Adam pulled away from Bella so she could see her daughter and she immediately reached out. Edward leaned over to place the child in her mother's arms and Adam watched as the child's gaze moved from her father's face to her mother's. This wasn't the unfocused, unaware gaze of a human newborn. There was an alert, intelligent glint in her chocolate brown eyes as she viewed Bella's face. I heard her heartbeat, thrumming like the beat of hummingbird wings. It was faster than I'd ever heard it, no doubt in response to her recent ordeal.

"Oh, my sweet baby. Our little Lizzy," Bella breathed in awe, tears trailing down her cheeks and into her hair as she reached up to trace the perfect round cheek and tiny button nose. At the sound of Bella's voice, the baby in her arms smiled, displaying a mouth full of tiny, perfect teeth. And then she bent her head to her mother's shoulder. Bella's sharp cry of pain resulted in Edward quickly reclaiming their daughter.

"No, Lizzy," he said in a soft, firm tone as Adam looked down at the tiny little bite mark on Bella's shoulder. He leaned close and sniffed. Then he looked over at Edward and shook his head. Evidently the baby's bite didn't contain any venom. Adam looked back at Bella and her slight grimace of pain turned into a dreamy smile. Her gaze was locked on father and child as Edward told their daughter in loving tones that it was wrong to bite her mother. I noticed in Adam's vision that Bella was turning pale and her eyes, while filled joy and love, were also reflecting pain.

Edward, no doubt noticing the same thing, gently handed Lizzy to Adam. Bella leaned up, ignoring what must be excruitiating pain in her ribs to give her daughter a kiss before Adam whisked her away, down the stairs into Rose's waiting arms.

"Edward, it's burning already," Bella said breathlessly, pain evident in her voice now. Adam returned to the room in time to see her slump onto the table, her breathing ragged. Our hope that no venom would get into her bloodstream during the operation was futile. Edward reached down and gently pushed her hair back with his bloody fingers. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her mouth.

"It's time, then," he said gently. She nodded, her eyes filled with tears. Adam moved to the surgical tray and picked up a large syringe filled with a thick, silvery fluid. Edward looked over at him and managed a weak smile as he reached out and took it from Adam's hands. I shuddered and left Adam's vision. I couldn't bare to watch. I sent up another prayer that everything would go smoothly and concentrated on my task. Rose would be done in a few minutes and I would be ready to feed my niece her first meal, be it rather disgusting formula or tempting warm blood. It wasn't quite enough to distract me from the sound of Bella in pain. Her pained gasp when Edward had plunged the needle into her chest had quickly changed to whimpers and moans as the venom was quickly pumped through her body from her heart. Through the whole process, Edward was murmuring endless apologies to his wife and it was breaking my heart.

Soon, however, I had something esle to distract me. I heard Rose's startled exclamation as I put the lid on the cup of blood. She was still downstairs and had been cooing quietly at the baby as she toweled her dry. I heard her feet on the stairs and then she opened the door from Bella and Edward's room and darted inside.

"Rose?" I asked curiously, going immediately towards them. I was surprised when Rose put the baby in my arms immediately.

"She's gifted, Leia! Go ahead, Renesmee, show Auntie Leia what you showed me," Rose said excitedly. I couldn't help but tune Rose out a little as I held Lizzy for the first time. I drew the tiny child close, careful to hold her as gently as I would Bella. I leaned forward and put my face into her damp hair and smiled. She smelled like a baby should, no doubt because of the baby shampoo that Rose had washed her with.

"Hello, Lizzy. I'm so glad you're here with us, little one. Now, what was it that Aunt Rose wants you to show me?" I asked, knowing Rose was expecting it. I had to admit with Edward's gift and Bella's odd mental immunity it wasn't exactly surprising that Lizzy would exhibit some special talent. However, Rose seemed to forget that I couldn't 'see' anything unless I had help and she wasn't touching me. I had my arms full, so I couldn't reach out and touch her as she watched the two of us. I was a little disgruntled by that until Lizzy reached up to pat my cheek. I had a split second to notice how strong her small, soft hand was before colors exploded behind my useless eyes and I was seeing the scene from the office minutes ago, specifically Bella's smiling face, only it wasn't from Adam's point of view. It was from Lizzy's.


	13. Chapter 13

ChPOV

"This really looks bad, Chief," Mike said, stating the obvious as usual. As I took in the torn and blood splattered tent, I repressed a shudder of disgust. It wasn't completely unheard of to have an animal attack in the woods around Forks, but judging by the size of the prints leading away from the campsite, it looked like the rumors of a large bear in the area were true. And strangely enough, it had a taste for human flesh. There was plenty of fish in the local rivers and streams to keep any bear happy. Could be a mother guarding cubs, but there wasn't any sign of a den nearby, or smaller tracks.

"Is the ranger here yet?" I asked. A hiker had called in the scene to 911 and we had beat the ranger here. It was close to Quileute lands, so they didn't have a station nearby.

"No, Chief. I'll radio in and see how long they'll be."

"Good. Take a statement from the hiker, too, while I start a perimeter search," I said, pulling my flashlight just in case. It was already late afternoon and I didn't want to get caught out without light. I tucked my shotgun under my arm, since I didn't have a chance of bringing down a half ton bear with my handgun. Not that the shotgun would do more than scare it away. At least I hoped it would scare it away and not just piss it off.

As I circled out away from the campsite, I looked for more tracks. I found one trail heading away from the tent, the large prints of the animal that had evidently attacked. On the other side of the clearing, I found a few crushed leaves and a few drops of blood heading south. Could the injured camper have escaped? Perhaps they were still alive. Excited by the prospect, I tried to follow the trail through the underbrush. It wasn't too hard. The individual was bleeding rather profusely and every few feet there was a large disturbance of leaves and brush, probably from the camper falling. I winced but continued to follow along for several minutes, keeping in radio contact with Mark every two or three minutes and marking my own trail so I could get back easily.

"Ranger's here, Charlie," Mark said over the radio just as I thought I might have heard a faint human cry. I hurried forward, ignoring the radio for a moment as I strained to hear another sound. I didn't have to wait long. A low wail echoed from what I judged to be about one hundred yards away.

"Got a lead on a possible survivor here, Mark. See if you can find my trail, almost due south from the campsite," I radioed and then sped up as much as I could through the brambles, fallen logs and other forest debris. I was almost to the origin of the sound when someone, a tall, dark someone, stepped out of the trees into my eyeline. I pulled up short, shocked.

"Jacob?" I asked, surprise making my query sharp.

"Hey, Charlie," Jake said, his own tone wary. I tilted my head in the direction of the sounds of a human in pain and moved forward again.

"I don't know what you're doing out here, Jake, but I've got to get to that person quickly. They were attacked by a bear," I told him, trying to step around him. I blinked in surprise when he stepped back in front of me.

"Charlie," he started softly, putting one hand on my arm. Then he paused and his head shot up, and he was, was he sniffing the air? Yes, he was, and his face was suddenly fierce.

"Jake, what…" I started to ask, but then he growled. Literally growled and ran off in the direction of the wailing sounds I'd been following. I hurried after him, shouting for him to stop. I didn't get far before I tripped over a root and caught myself on my hands and knees, shotgun flying away from me into the underbrush. As I scrambled to get up, I noticed what looked like a large swatch of denim. Was this from the victim's clothes? It actually looked a lot like Jacob's worn jean shorts, but I dismissed the thought immediately as I rubbed my stinging hands on my uniformed thighs.

As I moved to find my gun, I heard a chorus of hair raising howls and felt the hair on the back of my neck raise. Wolves! A whole pack of them. I finally found my gun and hustled forward, terror lodging in the back of my throat as I realized Jacob was headed into real danger. I knew the wolves would probably scatter if I fired the shotgun.

"Mark, we've got wolves out here," I radioed, my breath coming out in harsh puffs as I jogged down a steep incline and had to catch myself on a tree to keep from falling again. When I passed through another copse of trees, I finally found what I'd been looking for, on both counts. The victim and, it seemed, the monsters that had attacked him. We weren't looking for a man eating bear. It was giant wolves. And there was a pack of four standing over a heap of blood, flesh and cloth that was writhing and screaming as if in ultimate suffering. The only good thing about the scene was Jacob wasn't in the middle of it. So I raised my shotgun and fired into the air, trying to fight back the panic I was feeling. Two of the wolves turned to look up at me, but none of them moved. This was not good. Wild animals should be afraid of guns.

I didn't move, not sure if it would provoke one of them into leaping at me. As I watched, one of them, a large black monster, lifted his head to sniff the air. Then he gave a sharp bark and two of the wolves, one gray and the other reddish colored, ran off to the left. Seconds ticked by, I don't know how many, while I watched the black wolf stare down at the still screaming man. I was almost ready to start moving back away from the animal when Mark's voice cracked out of the reciever on my shoulder, asking for better directions. The black wolf's head snapped up and he growled at me, lowering himself into a crouch. If I'd been a little less of a man, I might have screamed right then. I was certain death was staring me in the face. So it was a shock when I was actually hit from behind. The gun flew out of my hand and I heard the explosion as it went off somewhere to my left just before I landed on my back, hitting my head on something hard. I more sensed than saw the black wolf leap, not at me, but around me. A sound not unlike the screech of metal on metal followed me down into unconsciousness.

Next time I opened my eyes, it was to the sight of a dingy popcorn ceiling. The give under me and the softness behind my aching head clued me in to the fact that I must be in a bed somewhere. I did a cautious twitch of all my limbs and was surprised to find nothing more than a splitting heading, two aching knees and a couple of scrapped palms. How had I escaped those wolves? Had the gun...

"Hey, Charlie," Jacob's voice startled me and my head jerked up. It was a bad move because pain exploded behind my eyes, causing me to grunt. I felt Jake's large, strong hand on my shoulder, easing me back against the pillows. I rested there for a moment before opening my eyes again, grateful to be able to see without the black spots in front my vision. We were at Billy's house, in Jacob's old room. I recognized it now because of the posters of motorcycles and cars tacked to the walls.

"Jake, happened out there? Did those monster wolves all take off? Was the hiker killed? Did someone get shot when the gun went off?" I asked in rapid succession. I looked up at him and noticed the wry grin on his face.

"Wow, for a man of few words you sure ask a lot of questions, Charlie," he said with a nervous laugh. I would have raised an eyebrow at him in disbelief if it had been worth the extra pain.

"I'm the Chief of Police, Jacob, it's my job to ask questions," I told him sternly. "Help me up. I can't do this flat on my back."

I clenched my teeth against the pain as Jake pulled me up and I scooted back so I could lean against the wall. When I looked back at Jake, he held out his palm and I noted the three little white pills there. I reached up and took them without moving my head and tossed them into my mouth and swallowed. I took the glass Jake offered and chased the bitter taste from the back of my tongue before I spoke again.

"Now, seriously, Jake, I need to know what happened out there and I need to get in touch with Mark so we can compare notes," I said. Jake sighed and ducked his head.

"I'm afraid you'll have to compare notes with me first, Charlie. There's a few things I need to tell you, and show you, before you talk to Officer Mark," Jacob said, the tone of his voice remorseful.

LPOV

"I can't really say this proves anything, but it looks as though a conscious choice to make the change from human to vampire does have some affect on one's control," Carlisle said, satisfaction in his tone. He and Jasper were in the study talking quietly while Bella cradled a sleeping Lizzy in her arms on the couch. Edward was perched on the back to the couch, legs braced on either side of his wife, watching over his family with an expression of pure joy on his face. I was watching the scene through Adam's eyes. We were curled up together in front of the fireplace enjoying the relative quiet after the crazy day we'd had.

Bella had awoken early, her change even quicker than mine had been at only 62 hours and some odd minutes. It hadn't been easy, listening to her moans and choked sobs through the first day. She had only screamed really good a time or two, thank heavens, and both times Edward asked me to bring in Lizzy. Having her baby close had calmed her like nothing else could. Whether it was the comfort of knowing Lizzy was okay or the need to keep from frightening her child with her screams, one could only speculate.

Everyone in the family had been on hand for her first moments as a vampire, except Adam and Lizzy. Rose had actually relinquished the baby to him freely to be a part of Bella's welcoming party, which surprised me to no end. Of course it could have been Lizzy's not-so-subtle preference for my mate that prompted her decision. Lizzy had captured all of our hearts, but of all of us, she seemed most comfortable with Adam. Which delighted him to no end and annoyed both my sisters. I was of the opinion that as long as Lizzy was happy, I was happy. Not that I didn't enjoy my own quiet moments with the little darling. She had fallen asleep in my arms the night before and I had stroked her soft skin for almost two hours before Carlisle had come into the nursery with his tape measure.

The one thing about the situation that worried us all was the rate at which Lizzy was growing. Carlisle refused to make any conclusions until he'd gathered enough data, but we all hoped he would announce sooner than later that the growth rate was declining. She was only three days out of the womb and already the size of a healthy three month old. Not to mention she'd been born with a head full of beautiful bronze curls, a full set of pearly whites and an intelligence way beyond that of a human newborn. She communicated quite well through her gift, the ability to show others exactly what she was thinking, in vivid technicolor, just by touching their skin. Bella had her tiny hand pressed against her cheek now, no doubt watching the child's nebulous dreams.

But, back to Bella's first moments as a vampire. After a few seconds of disorientation in which she had mistaken Edward's now warm and somewhat pliable skin as that of a stranger, she had quickly latched onto him with all of her newborn strength. Needless to say, Edward was lucky vampires didn't bruise. Bella had quickly learned to tone down the strength of her hugs. By the time she pulled me into an embrace, she didn't squeeze me any harder than an overenthusiastic Emmett. By the time she had come home from her first hunt with Edward demanding to see her daughter, she had reigned in her strength enough that she could touch little Lizzy Renesmee Cullen without fear of breaking her.

Jazz and dad were currently discussing Bella's amazing control after she had managed to be around both Adam and Lizzy without any hint that she might try to attack them. She did admit that Adam's heartbeat tended to mesmerize her sometimes, but she resisted the urge to sample his blood easily. She had made some crack about Adam's hideous odor that had sent Alice and Rose into gales of laughter for several minutes. Adam had just rolled his eyes.

"What say we take a break, just the two of us. I need some quiet time before the horde descends tomorrow," Adam said quietly, leaning down to murmur the suggestion against my ear. He was referring to the fact that the Denali clan was making their first visit since before Bella's change. Now that it was clear Bella was fairly well adjusted despite her newness, the Denali's were demanding the chance to meet Lizzy. No doubt to prove to themselves that she wasn't anything like the vampire children that had caused such disaster within their own family so long ago. His warm breath against my skin did delightful things to my hypersensitive nerve endings and I turned my head, silently asking for a kiss. Adam obliged with his usual enthusiasm and then climbed to his feet, dragging me up with him.

"We're going to go out for the night. We'll be back in time for breakfast," Adam announced in a soft tone so he didn't wake the baby. There were vague acknowledgement from several family members. Bella didn't seem to hear, so wrapped up in Lizzy's dreams as she was. Edward, however, looked up and nodded at Adam.

_'Don't do anything I wouldn't do_,' Edward signed in Adam's line of sight, letting his calm smile transform into a smirk. I chuckled as I signed back.

_'Well, that doesn't rule much out, does it.'_

_'I do believe you're referring to Emmett_,' Edward said, one eyebrow raised. I snorted softly and shook my head.

_'Now that you've got a wife of your own to misbehave with, I'm definitely referring to you. Decades of listening to the thoughts of the mated males in this house, not to mention the dirty minds of teenagers at every school you've attended, has to have given you some interesting ideas that Emmett couldn't even dream of_,' I signed back, wriggling my eyebrows in his general direction. I heard his short bark of laughter, which made Bella look up with a frown. Edward leaned down to soothe her and Adam and I slipped out of the room and upstairs.

"One of these days, I'm going to make you two teach me that little sign language of yours. I have the sneaking suspicion I'm missing out on some intriguing communications," Adam said softly after we'd left the house through our bedroom window. We didn't want the draft from the front door to wake the baby.

"Edward was just giving me permission to misbehave," I said with a giggle. "Not that we need his permission."

"Do you want to misbehave?" Adam asked curiously. I heard a hint of longing in his voice, one that he probably tried to hide. He had been letting me lead the physical side of our relationship and up until now we hadn't done more than some semi-bold exploration and heavy petting. Not that we hadn't come close to pushing boundaries on several occasions. Vampire passion matched with Adam's imprint made for some explosive chemistry, not even counting the fact that we were both essentially teenagers in love.

We had talked about waiting until we were officially married, but the ceremony would only confirm the permanent bond our natures had forged for us. That's not saying I didn't want to a wedding, I just didn't want something over the top. And I wanted Adam's family there. That was going to be the hardest part, but from talking to Sarah on the phone every other day or so, I didn't think it would be impossible. We already had plans to meet Jacob, Sarah and David in Seattle for Thanksgiving and it might be the perfect time to say our vows. But that was two months into the future and I didn't think either of us was going to last that long.

"I'm thinking about it," I said quietly, lifting my face in the direction of his, wearing what I hoped was my best innocent smile. I wasn't prepared to have myself scooped up and tossed over Adam's shoulder as he jogged forward.

"Well think fast, Lei-love. Its only three miles to the hot springs," he said, his voice filled with excitement. I slid my hands into the pockets of his jeans and kissed the smooth, warm muscles of his back.

"Yes, definitely up for some misbehavin'," I said. I laughed breathlessly when I felt him speed up. I was tracing the curve of his spine with my finger when I he stumbled. I felt the jolt as he fell to one knee and I would have moved off of him immediately to see what was wrong if he hadn't tightened his hands around my waist. I heard him gasp sharply and then push shakily back up. He let me down, sliding me down the front of his body until my head was resting on his shoulder, my feet still dangling a good six inches off the ground. Thirty seconds ago, I would have thought it a sensual gesture. Now, if seemed more like a need for comfort.

"Sarah's panicked about something," Adam said, explaining without my needing to ask. I knew their twin bond was strong, but I had never seen him react like this to one of his 'intuative moments' with his sister. His breathing was irregular and his voice was shaky. I stroked his hair gently and murmured into his shoulder.

"We can head back to the house and call her," I said gently. Adam sighed.

"And I was so looking forward to misbehavin' with you," Adam said against my temple, but his heart wasn't in the words.

"We can get back to that very soon, I promise," I told him, kissing him lightly. I aimed for his nose, but he tilted his face and caught my lips even as he began to move back in the direction we'd come from. I was an awkward burden so he had to drop me to run beside him, but his grip on my fingers was like a steel vice. We were silent on the run back but I couldn't keep my thoughts from lingering on the possible problems, the worst of which would be something happening to their father. Or even Sarah herself. Had the Volturi come back to Forks? Was Jacob injured? Maybe Sarah was pregnant, something I knew she wasn't ready for yet. That could make her panic, right? As my mind spun in circles (and my vampire mind could run in huge, interlocking, concentric circles all at once), I never once even touched on the actual problem at hand.

When we reached the house, Edward was waiting on the porch with a phone. Two minutes later, everyone in the house except the sleeping Lizzy heard Sarah's somewhat hysterical response to Adam's frantic 'What's wrong?'.

_"Jake is about to phase in front of Charlie. On purpose."_

Unknown POV

"Yes, my lord. I only received this letter two days ago. Irina can be a bit fanciful at the best of times. I didn't think it worth mentioning."

I barely resisted the urge to tremble as I knelt in front of Caius. I should have known Felix would be treacherous. He had overheard my conversation with Heidi and had, of course, reported the news that Irina Denali had written me a letter regarding the Cullens. They had been the talk of the stronghold since the show their youngest had put on in the feeding chamber. I secretly admired the girl for her restraint, only a decade to this life and already so controlled. It had made me curious about her coven's lifestyle and I had contacted a very old friend whom I knew had adopted a similar human-free lifestyle for more information regarding Carlisle Cullen and his 'family'. We had exchanged a half dozen letters, which to my chagrin, were mostly filled with biting comments about the Cullen Coven. Irina seemed a little bitter over the loss of her latest lover in a fight with one of the Cullens and their new pets, a pack of shapeshifting werewolves. She had grudgingly admitted two letters ago that her lover had been the one to attack first, but Irina was having a hard time forgiving. It just wasn't in her nature and as a vampire, that was unlikely to change over the next century or two.

"Perhaps we should send a delegation to check up on the Cullens. But first, you should convince Irina Denali to come for a visit. Aro will be very interested in visiting with her in person, I'm certain. If what she says is true, the Cullens will have to be dealt with," Caius said, not even bothering to hide his glee at the prospect. I kept the grimace from my face with effort, fearing any show of negative emotion would result in drawing unfavorable attention from Caius. Of all the three Volturi leaders, he was the most vicious and would love nothing more than the chance to order my execution for daring to disagree with something he said.

"As you wish, my lord."


	14. Chapter 14

LPOV

"Hi, dad."

Edward was pacing in front of the fireplace while Bella answered a call from her father on Edward's cell phone. The amount of relief in Bella's voice was obvious. Her reaction to Sarah's frantic phone call had been rather explosive. It was a good thing Jacob was protected by several hundred miles and a treaty, or Bella would have probably ripped his head off. If the situation hadn't been so dire, Jasper would have been rather smug to see her react so violently.

It had taken a few minutes for Edward to calm Bella down. Copious mentions of Lizzy had done the trick, thank God, or Charlie would no doubt be a bit concerned by all the snarling. Regardless, we were all hoping that Bella's new, smoother and much more lyrical voice wouldn't throw Charlie off either. Charlie wasn't exactly completely 'in the know' about us, but Jacob had told him a lot. Including the fact that the hiker he'd found had been attacked not by the giant wolves - which just happened to be human-protecting, shapeshifting Quileutes - but by a nomad vampire. Evidently, as Chief of Police, he'd demanded all the details pertinent to his investigation before he'd promised to cover up the whole situation for the safety of the tribe and, though he didn't know it, himself as well.

Charlie could be as observant as his daughter when it suited him, so when Jacob had eluded to the fact that some of the Quileute legends Charlie had heard from Billy over the years were true, he had asked if the Cullens were part of their legends as well. Between the Quileutes very public feud with my family and some of the odd things he'd noticed over the last couple years, he couldn't help but be suspicious. Fortunately, Jacob had left his explanations about us vague, only telling Charlie that yes, the Cullens were different, and that he would have to ask us if he wanted full disclosure. He had also told Charlie that knowing the whole truth could be very dangerous. At that point, Charlie had demanded his phone so he could call Bella.

"Where are you?"

"At our house in Alaska," Bella said simply, glancing at her husband. Edward had one hand in his hair, fingers tugging at the already out of control strands. Esme was in the nursery with Lizzy, who was thankfully still asleep. The rest of the family was standing around the room, mostly still. Adam had me around the waist, my back pulled tightly against his torso as his eyes roamed around the room. Whether it was nerves or just knowing I'd want to see everyone, I couldn't tell.

"Are you safe? And happy? Is Edward treating you right?" Charlie asked, is voice hesitant now. Bella sighed softly.

"I've never been happier, Dad. And Edward is the perfect husband. I've never worried about being safe when I'm with him," she told him gently. I heard Charlie's broken sigh over the phone.

"Am I ever going to see you again, Bella? Are you really in Alaska, or is that just a cover?" Bella began to look panicked now and Edward was by her side in an instant. Bella took a deep breath to steady herself, such a human thing to do really, and leaned into Edward as she replied.

"I really am in Alaska, Dad. And I, well...I don't know if you'll see me again. I don't want to put you in danger," she said, her own voice cracking as she looked up at Edward. He was stroking her cheek with his fingers, an encouraging look on his face. He was going to let Bella handle the conversation however she wanted to. Jasper looked worried and Rose looked positively mutinious. But I agreed with Edward, and from the calm expression on dad's face, so did he. The last thing Bella would do was put Lizzy, us or her father in danger.

"Jacob said you can't come back to Forks, because of some differences you have with the tribe down at La Push. That some of the elders are scared of your new family. Are you different now, too? Is that why I'd be in danger?" Charlie asked, worry in his gruff voice. I saw Bella's startled look and knew several of the family members wore a similar expression. Sarah hadn't mentioned that Jacob had told Charlie about the treaty.

"I'm a Cullen, now. That might make me a little different, but I'm still Bella. I'm still your daughter. It would be a little dangerous for me to see you right now, but that's not the worst thing. Just knowing we're different can get you in a lot of trouble, Dad," Bella warned, almost desparately.

"If I don't ask any questions? If I don't need all the details?" Charlie asked, a hopeful note in his voice.

"I don't...I don't know," Bella said, glancing up at Edward. He looked contemplative. He looked over at dad and I was surprised to see Carlisle shrug. It wasn't a gesture he used often. Bella took that as a maybe, because her eyes brightened. "Maybe we could arrange to meet somewhere in the middle. When we know it's safe for you."

"I would really like that," Charlie said, relief obvious in his voice. There was a brief silence and then he asked another question, "Is Leia there with you?"

Adam tensed behind me and I felt his arms tighten more around me. Bella looked up at Edward and then at me, one eyebrow raised in question. Carlisle and Edward had a quick, vampire tone conversation regarding this, trying to decide how to answer that question. Alice was frowning, fingers massaging her temples. She was learning to see 'around' Lizzy and even Adam to some extent, but this particular situation had too many wolves involved. Jasper put his hands on her shoulders in a comforting manner.

"He's probably worried about her, now that he knows she's dating a werewolf," Adam said softly, his voice resigned. That brought all eyes in the room to him and Carlisle and Edward exchanged a look that said they clearly agreed with Adam. I rolled my eyes at all of them and gave Bella a vigorous nod. She answered her father before he noticed the miniscule pause.

"Most of the family is here, actually. We're having a little dinner party," she said in a more cheerful tone.

"Is Adam with her?" Charlie asked, his voice concerned.

"Of course, dad. The two of them are practically attached at the hip these days," Bella said with a wry chuckle that cut off abruptly when Emmett snorted softly in amusement. Edward shot a glare in Emmett's direction and I didn't even wonder what he was thinking. No doubt his mind was twisting Bella's comment into something perverse. Bella's expression was a curious mix of mortification and embarrassment. It was weird to see that without the rosy pink blush that normally accompanied either expression on her. Of course, I'd been around Emmett long enough that my own mind twisted Bella's comment too. It didn't help that Adam and I had been thinking along those lines not two hours ago.

'_The only good thing to come from this god awful mess_,' Edward signed at me, shifting his glare in my direction and I shrugged.

'_Not from where I'm standing_,' I thought back at him with a mental sigh of disappointment. Edward rolled his eyes at me in obvious disgust. If the situation hadn't been so grave, I might have teased him in my thoughts.

"Let me talk to Leia," Charlie said after a brief pause. Ignoring the sudden comments from everyone in my family and the hesitant warning from Dad, I held out my hand for the phone. I seemed to me that it was a good thing that Charlie's attention as now on something other than his daughter's new 'differences'. With a low growl, Edward took the phone from Bella and tossed it in my direction. I caught it easily and brought the phone up to my ear.

"Hi, Charlie," I said brightly.

"Hi, Leia. Um...do you...do you know what Adam is?" Charlie's hesitant, worried tone made my heart melt. Never one for pleasantries, really, he got straight to the point. It was nice to know he cared about me enough to worry. I really did miss him.

"Besides being a wonderful human being and a sweet, loving boyfriend, yes. I am aware of Adam's furry little problem," I said softly, bringing one of Adam's hands up to my lips to brush a kiss on the hot skin. Adam bent down and kissed my temple and I smiled up at him. Charlie's sigh was echoed by half of my family members.

"You know how dangerous he can be, right? Not that I don't love that boy like a son, but I've seen Emily's face. I don't want you to get hurt like that," Charlie said sternly. It was my turn to sigh.

"Trust me when I say I'm a lot sturdier than Emily, Charlie. And I can move pretty quick when I need to," I told him seriously. Charlie was very quiet for a moment and then he laughed shortly. I don't think he was really amused, though.

"Different, right," Charlie muttered to himself before continuing. "Regardless, you tell Adam if he hurts you, he'll have to answer to me," Charlie said sharply. And then he laughed again, this time with a hint of real amusement. "Of course the best I could do is yell at him, but I'll give him a good talking to, I promise."

I heard Bella giggle and Adam snorted softly above me and put out his hand, obviously asking for the phone. I handed it to him without a qualm.

"Message received, Charlie," Adam said quietly.

"Adam! Oh, you heard that? Um, well, yes. You better treat her right," Charlie said, his tone somewhat nervous. I felt a twinge of sadness. It seemed that Charlie might be a little afraid of Adam now. How could he not after what he'd witnessed in the last few hours?

"I promise, if she gets so much as a scratch on my watch, I'll be the first one to beat myself up over it. Followed swiftly by three overprotective brothers and a couple of scarier than hell big sisters. You might get a word in before Carlisle and Esme take their turns," he said with a laugh. Which, to my happy surprise, Charlie echoed heartily. Trust my mate to defuse a tense situation with a little humor.

"Oh, I'm sure little Alice has you shaking in your boots," Charlie said with a guffaw. Adam's chuckles trailed off as he glanced over at Alice who was wearing a smug, slightly evil grin.

"Trust me Charlie, you have no idea how true that is."

After that, Bella promised to call Charlie again next week and he said goodbye. When the call was disconnected, Bella threw her arms around Edward and clung to him. At first I thought she was frightened, or worried about Charlie. Her biggest rant about Jacob's revelation was the danger Charlie would be in from the Volturi. But then I heard her tentative whisper.

"Do you think he could meet Lizzy?"

"We'll think of something, love," Edward said, relief in his tone. I sagged a bit in Adam's arms, aware that the situation seemed to be working out for the better. There was still the Volturi to worry about, but hopefully that was a problem we wouldn't have to deal with once they were made aware that Bella was one of us now. I turned a little and laid my head against Adam's chest as he rubbed his hands up and down my back. I was startled a moment later by a thunderous clap, but relaxed again when Adam looked over at Emmett, who was rubbing his hands together with a wicked grin on his face.

"Well then, I guess that means we get to start the human resistance training sooner than later, huh? Maybe even have you ready for a visit by Thanksgiving!" Emmett said loudly. Rose hissed at him and the rest of the family gasped. Adam looked over back at Bella, who looked horrified at the idea. Edward was shooting glares at our over enthusiastic brother. I for one agreed with Emmett and knew Bella was probably capable of interacting with Charlie right now if she had enough warning. Edward's glare turned in our direction and I was quick to defend myself.

'_Not that I'd wish that on her, Edward. I know it would be painful. But I think she's stronger than any of us could possibly imagine. And he's her father. She's remembers him now with love, so interacting with him is the best way to hold on to memories of him_,' I thought at my brother. I had completely forgotten my own father and was glad for it, knowing that he had been a monster. But I regretted the fact that my memories of my mother were hazy at best. I didn't want that for Bella, though we had all agreed that seeing Renee was not an option. She was entirely too perceptive and not quite reliable at keeping secrets. So I was even more determined that Bella should have Charlie in her life, and vice versa. I didn't want Charlie to live the rest of his life wondering what had happened to his only child. Edward's glare softened slightly and he sighed, glancing over at Alice. She had her face screwed up as if in agony. Adam chuckled behind me and leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"Wanna elope and take a three month honeymoon around the world?" Adam asked quietly. I turned my face up towards him, gaping in surprise until I realized what he was up to. I grinned and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Sounds like a wonderful idea. Only one condition. Let's avoid Italy altogether," I said, earning a tight squeeze from Adam. He started to whisper something else, but Rose interrupted him angrily.

"If you think you're sneaking off to marry my baby sister and haul her off to god knows where, I'll..." The rest of Rose's tirade was cut off by Alice's squeal of delight. Edward was still staring at Alice and his sudden, brilliant smile made Bella demand to know what Alice had seen. My sister's smile rivaled Edward's.

"I saw you and Edward sitting with Charlie in front of a fireplace somewhere at Thanksgiving. It isn't at Charlie's house and it's not a hotel, a cabin maybe? Bella is smiling! I mean a real happy smile, not one of those horrible half-pained smiles she gets when she's uncomfortable," Alice said with a another squeal of excitement. And then she did something that shocked all of us. She waltzed over and pulled Adam's face down so she could kiss his cheek. "He's smart, Lei-lei. I think you should keep him. But if you two try to elope, I'll make your lives a living hell for at least a century."

The next day

"You've gone mad," Eleazar scoffed after the Denali's had been sufficiently awed by little Elizabeth Renesmee Cullen and discussion of the likelihood of Bella visiting with her father in two months time started up. I only had half an ear to the conversation. I was too busy switching between Adam and Lizzy's vision. They were outside in the backyard watching several thrushes pick over the handful of breadcrumbs Adam had dropped for them. Adam was telling Lizzy she must be very still and quiet and maybe the birds would come close. It was amazing how much the child seemed to understand for being only four days old. I saw her become completely still, except for just a hint of what I thought might be an excited quiver, her eyes following the birds as they hopped and pecked a few yards away. Adam had trailed the breadcrumbs back towards them in hopes that one or two of the birds might get very brave and hop a little closer. I had heard Adam talk about doing this exact same thing with his mother when he and Sarah were only a few years old. I was sad that Edward and Bella couldn't do such things with Lizzy, since the birds wouldn't come anywhere near a vampire. I felt a gentle tap against my hand and slipped into Edward's vision.

'_Adam is her only human example right now. We want her to embrace both sides of her nature, so we refuse to get jealous of the time she spends with Adam._' Edward signed. I nodded, understanding now why Edward and Bella always seemed happy to hand Lizzy over to Adam. I leaned into Edward and moved my sight back outside just in time to see the birds scatter when Lizzy slapped her tiny hands against Adam's arm. Adam glanced down and saw the thoughtful look on the baby's face as he scolded her gently, amusement in his voice. I was overjoyed to see the joy Adam took in caring for Lizzy. I knew this was as close to a child as he would ever have the chance to be, now that he was mated to a vampire. It had never really bothered me that I couldn't have children until recently, but I refused to become bitter like Rose. I could understand her a little better now, though.

"Alice was able to see enough to give us hope that it is possible. If Bella wants to see her father at Thanksgiving, I will do everything in my power to make sure she is prepared for the meeting. I have faith in my wife," Edward said out loud. I slipped back into Edward's vision to see Bella, who was sitting on the other side of him, looking up at him with a brilliant smile. It had taken a few hours to convince Bella that Alice's vision was sufficient evidence of her control to at least try meeting with her father. Even Jasper had expressed reluctant approval of the idea, granted Bella's 'human resistance' training (Emmett's corny label had been coined duing my newborn days) went well. Since Bella was aware that Jasper was the most experienced in dealing with newborns, his opinion carried a lot of weight with her and seemed to have eased the worst of her fears.

"And so do I. Just the fact that she can be around Lizzy and Adam without a qualm is promising," I said happily. I felt a gentle touch and Edward looked down so I could see Bella's hand touching my hand were it rested on Edward's knee. He looked up at Bella's face then and I saw her grateful smile. I gave her a cheeky grin in response and she chuckled softly.

"The wolf's smell is enough to put any vampire except for Leia off and the babe is just...special," Tanya said, her tone conveying just a little amusement and no disrepect that I could tell for Adam. She and Kate had been nothing but cordial to Bella of late and had been just as captivated by Lizzy as the rest of us. Oddly enough, the fact that Lizzy went willingly to Adam seemed to calm a lot of their misgivings about him. Those new attitudes went a long way to easing things between our family and the Denali's. There was still the unknown factor of Irina, but Carmen had reassured us that her last letter had mentioned the possibility of coming home soon and making peace with Adam and I. We all hoped she would be as receptive to Lizzy as the rest of her family.

As the conversation went on around us, with everyone adding their helpful suggestions for getting Bella ready to face human contact, the greater part of my attention was back outside with Adam and Lizzy. The birds were back now and Lizzy didn't move or make a sound this time. I watched as the birds finally braved the crumbs nearer to my beloved and our goddaughter. It took almost an hour of stillness before one of the tiny thrushes flew up onto Adam's hand, the palm of which was filled with more crumbs. And there it decided to sing a pretty little song. It was too much for Lizzy and she couldn't contain her excitement, reaching out to try and touch the bird, which of course immediately flew off. I held my breath, not knowing if Lizzy would pout, or even cry. She hadn't made any vocal noises since her birth so I was almost hoping she would make some noise of dismay. She did not, however. Instead, she reached up and patted Adam's face and he laughed. And to my eternal joy, Lizzy echoed with a high, twinkling laugh of her own, an obvious attempt to copy Adam's mirth. Everyone in the room went silent at the sound and Bella clutched Edward with a happy murmur.

"Okay, okay, I'll take you in to see momma and daddy. Yes, they'll want to see all about it," Adam said softly, oblivious to the captive audience they already had. I heard Bella murmur a question, asking Edward what exactly had taken place outside to cause Lizzy such obvious happiness. Edward shook his head.

"Let her show you," Edward said simply. Bella didn't have time to complain because Adam was already inside. He leaned over and settled Lizzy in Bella's lap. The little girl immediately reached for her mother's face and Bella leaned forward to oblige. As Lizzy showed her mother about her adventure, Adam came over and sat on the floor at my feet. I threaded my fingers through his hair and listened as the conversation turned more serious around us, prompted perhaps by the reminder that the fate of the precious child sitting in our midst was still a huge mystery. Eleazar, Carlisle and Jasper were discussing Lizzy's seemingly unique origins, and were pondering whether or not there could be others of her kind in the world.

"We need to do some recon in South America. They do have legends there, so its a good place to start. Its too bad Alice can't see Lizzy's kind," Jasper said.

"I'm getting better at seeing around Lizzy. Instead of getting nothing, its more of blank spot in the shape of Lizzy. I could search for similar blank spots while deciding where to travel, but its like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. It could take months," Alice jumped in to the conversation with a deep sigh.

"At least we're certain her growth is slowing, even if its only a little. That's promising," Carlisle added, turning to look over at Lizzy. She still had both hands on her mother's face and Bella's smile was beautiful but distracted. I knew if I reached over and touched my friend so that I could see through her eyes, her gaze would be probably be fuzzy and unfocused, much like Alice's was when she was having a vision. It was possible to separate the real time visual field from Lizzy's projected images, but it was distracting even for a vampire. At least I had a one up on everyone else in that I didn't have a real visual field to deal with.

"Lei-love? I'm going to go call Sarah. She's agitated about something," Adam said quietly. I nodded.

"You want me to come with?" I asked, leaning down and gently wrapping an arm around his neck. His shoulders were tense under my arms as he leaned back against me for a moment.

"Please? Maybe we can head up to the hotsprings," he suggested, a hopeful note in his voice. I smiled and nodded, praying the smile on my face wasn't as eager as it felt. Everyone was still chatting away in their little groups and Edward seemed absorbed with Bella and Lizzy. Regardless, they all knew Adam and I were about to head out. Thankfully, no one seemed to find it worth mentioning. I was especially glad Edward didn't say anything and hopefully Jasper would be too caught up in conversation to pick up on my sudden sexual tension.

"I'll grab the backpack if you'll make a sandwich for yourself," I told him. He scrambled off the floor and moved into the kitchen at a lope. I grinned and stood up, going around and kissing Lizzy's curly hair. She paused in her story telling and I felt her hand touch my cheek. An explosion of color hit my brain and I watched a quick version of her morning with Adam. I grinned.

"I saw, baby girl. That's amazing," I told her. Then she patted my cheek and I saw a clear picture of Adam's face with just a hint of query implied by Lizzy's thoughts. I was amazed how much she was able to convey without words.

"Adam and I are going to go for a walk and call his sister, Sarah. He's told you about his sister, Lizzy bug," I told her. I saw the scene from our bedroom late yesterday when Adam had shown Lizzy a picture of Sarah and told her about his twin. I grinned.

"Yes, bright girl, we're going to call Sarah and Adam will tell her all about your adventure today," I said. Edward leaned down to whisper to Bella that Lizzy had known exactly who I'd meant when I said Sarah's name. That launched a debate about Lizzy's obvious superior intellect, which as much as I would have loved to participate in, I needed some quiet time with Adam. And hopefully we'd get to finish what we'd started yesterday. I grinned and bounded up the stairs to get the backpack from the hook on the back of our door. We'd never unpacked it from the day before. I also took the folded blanket from the foot of our bed. Not that the ground itself would bother me, but Adam's skin, while tougher than a normal human's, was still sensitive enough to appreciate the buffer.

Half an hour later, I was lounging in the water, soaking the warmth into my cold skin. We had laid the blanket out a few yards from the pool on a cleared bit of ground and Adam was lounging on it watching me, his phone against his ear.

"_Jacob and Sam had a pretty explosive arguement about Charlie_," Sarah was saying, her voice sounding tired. Adam made a soothing noise and then asked her to explain. "_Evidently Jacob acted without Sam's knowledge when he phased for Charlie. Jacob started to outline all the things Sam had done wrong with the pack, including shutting out the Cullens instead of welcoming them as allies. Sam told him if he wasn't happy about the way he was running things, he should just challenge him for the role of alpha and be done with it. As proud as I am for Jake standing up for the Cullens, I'm afraid Jacob is going to challenge Sam for the pack_."

"Would that be such a bad thing, Sarah? Jake's obviously grown up a lot in the last few months and he's not being so damn pigheaded," Adam said quietly.

"_It's not that I don't think he'd make a good alpha, but he's still so young. Sam might be hard nosed and prejudiced against the Cullens, but he's got years of experience. The elders already respect him_," Sarah said with a sigh.

"Where's Jake now?" Adam asked, curious since Sarah was speaking freely about her fears.

"_He's out fishing with Charlie, Billy and Dad. He's actually been spending a lot of time with Dad lately, which is good. Dad misses you, Adam. So do I_," Sarah said, sounding tearful. I heard Adam swallow a couple times and his voice was unsteady when he answered her. I wanted to go to him, but I wanted to get as warm as possible from the water before Adam finished up his phone call, so I forced myself to stay under the mineral rich, hot water.

"Well, now that we're settled here, maybe I could come down to Seattle for a visit soon," Adam offered quietly.

"_That would be...that would be wonderful, Adam. Are you sure? I mean, I know things are crazy there right now with, well, ya know_," she said breathlessly. Adam had told Sarah about the baby, knowing she would keep it a secret from her husband and the rest of the tribe. She had been shocked to hear the news, but ultimately was thrilled. She had sent a baby blanket at Adam's request, which she had smuggled out of her own hope chest. It had been Adam's when he was a baby and she'd been keeping it for him. It was a soft, worn woven yellow swatch with animals parading around the edges. Adam had presented it to Edward and Bella from the both of them. It was drapped over the arm of the rocking chair Adam and Emmett had made, on proud display in the nursery despite Rose's constant attempts to hide it in the bottom of Lizzy's linen bureau.

"Things are okay right now. There would be no problem with me coming down for a day or two. Besides, Leia and I have something we need to present to dad. I was going to wait until his birthday, but I got a call a couple of days ago and its ready," Adam said, sounding excited. I grinned, happy that Adam had finally come to terms with giving his father a fishing boat. Despite being adamant to keep the cost down, at my urging we had stopped in to see a man at the marina who did custom carving and painting on boat decks and railings, most of it in a Native American style. It had taken very little persuading when Adam had seen some of the work the man had done. I had done my internet research well the day before with Esme looking over my shoulder.

"_Oh, the boat_?" Sarah asked, excitement overriding the worry and fatigue I'd been hearing earlier. Adam went on to describe the detail work the man had done, including deer and wolves in the artwork.

"_How's next weekend sound_?" Sarah asked when Adam had wound down.

"I don't see why not," Adam said. "Leia?"

"Barring an impromptu family holiday to Brazil, I doubt we'll have other plans," I said seriously. When we were running away from the house, Jasper and Eleazar had been talking about an expedition to South America to find more half vampires and it was a very real possibility that some of the family would be headed south sooner rather than later. Our worries about Lizzy might be outweighed by our joy at her presence, but it was always in the back of our minds.

"_Good! I'll talk to dad tonight and see if we can confirm a day and time. I'll call or email before I go to bed. Tell everyone I said hello. Night, Leia_," Sarah said, knowing I could hear her. She hung up then and Adam dropped the phone on top of the backpack and moved down into the bubbling water. He pulled me into his body and kissed me deeply before his mouth moved along my jaw and down.

"You're skin is so warm," he said against my neck, delight in his tone. As much as he loved me, I knew my cold skin was still a bit of a shock to him sometimes. I didn't want anything to distract him from what I hoped we would be doing for the next hour or two.

"Well, I have been poaching myself for nearly half an hour," I told him, gently teasing.

"Oh really? Any reason why you'd feel the need to warm yourself up, Miss Cullen?" Adam asked softly. I felt his fingers caress my back and then move to the strings of my bikini top, where they stilled. I pulled back a little and tilted my face up towards him, one hand reaching out to brush his cheek.

"Because I want you to make love to me and I want you to be comfortable," I told him, smiling softly to try to take the blunt edge off my comment. If the sound of Adam's deep moan was anything to go by, he didn't mind me getting straight to the point. When his fingers tugged at the knot securing my halter top, I fought the sudden urge to bury my face in his neck. Edward had warned me that I might have the urge to bite during more intimate moments with Adam and I didn't want to allow myself the temptation of his tasting the skin over his pulse. So instead I pulled his face back to mine and kissed him again as I felt the cloth fall away from my body.

"I love you, Adam," I breathed against his lips.

"I love you, Leia. God, I love you so much," Adam said, his voice breaking as his hands slid down my sides to rest of my hips. I felt a surge of love and desire so powerful, I was surprised I didn't melt on the spot. I knew I would follow this man into the depths of hell without looking back, but now I knew I could follow him to heaven as well. I let my own hands drift down his strong body, conscious always of keeping my touch gentle, and traced the waistband of his shorts.

"Forever and always," I said as I felt the last of the barriers between us slip away from us in the water.

"Forever and always."


	15. Chapter 15

"I had a talk with Carlisle last night while you were out hunting with Edward and Bella," Adam said quietly. We had just checked into the hotel and I was washing my face while Adam leaned up against the doorjamb behind me, watching the mirror for me. His face was serious, as it had been for much of the morning during our flight from Fairbanks. Whenever I had tried to find out what might be bothering him, he'd brushed it off and brightened up for an hour or two, but he would always turn somber again. I dried my face on one of the scratchy, to me anyway, towels hanging by the sink and turned my body towards him. I didn't move out of the bathroom, because I wanted to see his face.

"And what did you two have a chat about?" I asked as calmly as I could, bracing my hands on the counter behind me so I could hoist myself to perch on the marble vanity. Adam moved out of the doorway and came to stand in front of me. I parted legs so he could come closer and I ran one foot up and down his long leg in what I hoped was a comforting gesture. He leaned forward and put his chin on top of my head, his eyes steady on the mirror behind me. I wrapped my arms around him and tried not to tense up. I knew whatever he wanted to say was going to be serious.

"A topic of conversation the two of us have been avoiding since we started dating," he said, his hands resting on the counter behind me so that his arms were braced against my sides. I turned my head just enough to rest my ear against his chest, letting the sound of his heart soothe the urge to clench my hands into fists. At first I had thought he wanted to ask me, officially, to marry him. It would be in his nature to ask Carlisle for my hand, despite the fact that the entire family knew we were planning to marry. Because we had talked about it on many occasions. So it wasn't that. The only other thing I could think of, the one topic of conversation I had never even broached with him, was the one about his not-so-immortal lifespan.

"Maybe we shouldn't talk about it at all," I suggested desperately. Adam's eyes closed as if he were in pain.

"And let it creep up on us slowly, eating away at our happiness day after day? I'd rather we get it out in the open. It will give us time to come to terms with it," he said sadly. I slipped my arms around his chest and held him as tightly as I could without cracking his ribs. He was silent for several minutes and I knew he was waiting for me to ask the first question. It took me a while to gather my courage, but I knew he was right. We needed to talk about it.

"How much time?" I asked, my voice breaking on the last word. His arms tightened around me and he sighed.

"Honestly? We don't know. Nothing in the tribe's histories is specific about years. We know that [insert name here] lived a long life, had three wives and dozens of children. But since then, the shifting gene has only been activated once that we know of, when your family came to Forks the first time. And you know everyone in that pack had already passed away. It only took them a few years for all of them to learn the control they needed to stop phasing once the Cullen's had gone."

"But you're part of the family now and there will always be a vampire around. Couldn't that keep your shapeshifting active? I mean, even if you gained the control to stop phasing, do you have to stop? That's why you start aging again, right? The whole not phasing thing." I asked. I had done some thinking about this on my own, of course, and I hoped we could find a loophole.

"That's what Carlisle and I talked about," Adam said gently. "Since the gene is triggered by the presence of vampires, the wolf in me is always on alert around your...our family. But will that remain the case as the years pass and I'm in complete control? I don't know. Carlisle did suggest that I simply shift once a day to keep the wolf...well, renewed."

"Do you think that would work?" I asked, letting a little bit of hope blossom in my chest. Adam gave me a cautious smile in the mirror.

"I dunno, maybe? I really wish I could get the pack's thoughts on this, but I don't dare phase to ask. Especially not now what with Lizzy and then Jake and Sam arguing. So I'm hoping I can talk to Dad about it. He knows all the old traditions and histories. Not to mention his dad was one of the last pack. Maybe he remember's something about the whole process that leads up to not phasing anymore," he said, allowing a little hope to sound in his voice as well. I lifted my face in surprise.

"His dad was...really?" I asked, truly curious about his family history. As much time as we'd spent together, we hadn't gone into his family history beyond his parents and Sarah. Now that he'd brought it up, I found myself very curious. He nodded.

"Granddad Adam. I was named after him. He died when I was two, I think. Never really knew him. He never imprinted and didn't marry Gramma Jean until after he quit phasing. Dad told me once that he was worried he might hurt his wife and kids if he phased at the wrong time. Evidently Emily isn't the only imprint to get hurt in our history," Adam said quietly. I moved one hand so I could touch his face.

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about that," I told him tenderly. He nodded, a look of extreme relief on his face.

"Yeah, that's such a weight off my shoulders," he said quietly. For just a moment, I thought perhaps the conversation was over and we were going to drop the subject until after we, or Adam at least, had talked to David Talldeer. But for some reason I couldn't let it go, despite my initial reluctance to talk about it. There was one question that I still had to ask.

"Even if we find a loophole...it's not going to last forever, is it?" I asked, unable to keep the dread from my voice. Adam buried his face in my hair and I felt his shuddering sigh.

"No."

The urge to break down in sobs was almost overwhelming, but I clung to Adam and forced myself to keep from breaking down. There would be time for that later, hopefully centuries in the future, when Adam could no longer phase and I had to watch him grow old. Time to decide if I would follow him into death or remain behind to face endless lifetimes without him. But for now, while our time together was still new and the future more light than dark, I wanted to savor every moment together.

"Then we need to cherish every moment we have," I whispered against his shirt. I felt him relax around me and knew that he didn't want to dwell on the darker side of our distant future either. I wrapped my legs around his waist and he took that as permission to lift me from the vanity and carry me into the bedroom. I felt a wave of desire and passion for this beautiful man that ran so deep I was sure it crashed against my soul. As I ripped his shirt away from his shoulders, I prayed that I had packed enough clothes for the both of us, because I didn't think any of Adam's shirts were going to survive the weekend. And I could blame it all on my siblings.

We had come to Seattle a day early to escape the machinations of our siblings, who had managed to guess that Adam and I had finally 'done the deed' as Emmett so crudely put it. Since that one glorious day last week, Adam and I had been manipulated into spending 'quality time' with everyone in the family except each other. And when we _were_ together, Edward always decided that Lizzy needed to spend time with her godparents. Which neither of us minded. Much. But even the nights were impossible, since Adam had to sleep sometime and neither of us was comfortable making love in the house. We could have gone back to the hot springs, but the one time we'd tried, Jasper and Alice had insisted on coming along.

So it had been with no little amount of malicious glee (and sexual frustration, obviously) that I announced that Adam and I were taking a three day vacation to Seattle. Alone. With Carlisle and Esme's blessing. I had almost been disappointed when the rest of the family only put up a token resistance, despite continuing their divide and conquer routine. At one point yesterday, Bella had tried to help by taking Lizzy from Adam (ten seconds after Edward had dropped her in his lap when Adam had said something about taking a walk with me) and shooing us back into our room, promising to guard the door for us. As much as we'd appreciated the gesture, we hadn't done much. I wouldn't have minded but Adam was still self conscious about using our bed for more than just cuddling and sleeping when anyone else was in earshot. I loved him too much to push him about such a sensitive issue. Besides, a few months in the Cullen household and he would either decide we needed a place of our own or grow to accept the fact that there are no real secrets in a vampire family. Now, if I could just get Rose and Emmett to stop with the rude comments and innuendoes, maybe we wouldn't have to move out in order to have a sex life.

"Adam, Leia, what...?" David Talldeer stood in front of the 23' custom fitted fishing boat, complete with hauling trailer.

"Happy birthday, dad," Adam said, almost shyly. I knew he was worried about his father's reaction to such an expensive gift and I stood at his side, one arm wrapped around his waist and my head resting against his arm. I was actually watching David through Sarah's eyes, since she had a better view at the moment. The elder Talldeer's face was currently deep red, but it was slowly fading to a somewhat splotchy coppery bronze. His eyes were wide and his mouth hanging open just a bit and working as if he were trying to find words to say.

"Birthday?" he finally managed to croak out. Sarah grinned, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Yeah, he knows its not for another month, dad, but the artist working on the woodwork got done early and he just couldn't wait! Isn't it beautiful? What are you going to name her?" Sarah asked. I hoped her excitement would be contagious. She knew just how worried Adam was and she was determined to make sure her father saw this gift in a positive light. He had always wanted one, but since Billy Black owned a perfectly good boat and was always happy to loan it out, he had never seen fit to splurge when the money could be used for other, more important things. Like his children's future. David had withdrawn all of Adam's college fund money before we'd left Forks and had given it to him with the request that he invest it in his education. It was now part of Adam's investment portfolio and Alice was paying extra attention to making it grow at my request. I knew that during the next round of 'The Cullens' Go to College', Adam would insist on paying his own tuition.

"Beautiful, and expensive," David murmured, throwing his son a questioning glance before returning his gaze to the boat. He reached out hesitantly and traced one of the carved teak railings that ran the length of the boat deck. Adam sighed.

"Leia bought the boat, I paid for the detailing," he said quietly. I growled softly and punched his arm. He winced and I knew he'd have a bruise. For all of ten seconds. But I made my point and he quickly backpedaled. "Leia and I wanted to get you something special this year. We know it's been a rough one."

David turned away from the boat and approached us, his expression incredulous.

"Rough? For me? God, Adam, its been a calm sea for me compared to the storms you two have weathered. Forgive the water analogies, but it seems appropriate at the moment. I'm overwhelmed and thrilled, but I swear if you spent on penny of your college money on that boat I won't take it. Do you hear me?" his tone was stern but the expression on his face was still awed. Adam shook his head violently.

"Not a penny, dad. The Cullens' are really good with money. They've helped me invest my savings and it was more than enough to pay for this. Not to mention once I finally make an honest woman out of Leia, I'll have more money than God," Adam said, joking to try and reassure his father that the money wasn't an issue. I hit him again, softer this time, and scowled up in his direction playfully.

"Ah, so you _are_ only marrying me for my money. Jasper owes Emmett a new home theatre system," I groused at him, but I knew from his grin he was aware I was teasing. David looked a little shocked by my comment, but Adam's expression seemed to put him at ease. Sarah just stood to the side, giggling as her eyes darted from the boat to her father, to us, and back to the boat.

"It's not my fault. I didn't ask for the freaking black AmEx or the security codes for the petty cash safe. Your dad made me take them," Adam said, affecting a put upon look. I chuckled softly.

"It's okay. I love you forever, gold digger or not," I told him and he whooped, picking me up and spinning me around. He kissed me soundly before putting me back on the ground. The minute he put me down and turned back towards his father, David Talldeer reached out and pulled him into an embrace. I could tell it shocked Adam by the way his back tensed against my hand, where I had placed it when he'd been pulled away from me so suddenly. But he relaxed quickly and hugged his father until David was gasping for breath. I grinned in Sarah's direction and she moved over to slip an arm around my shoulders.

"Honest woman, huh? Does that mean he's asked officially?" Sarah asked quietly as father and son moved to inspect the boat up close. I smiled.

"Not technically, but I know he'll do it soon. We're waiting for some things to settle down at home first. I was thinking maybe a Christmas wedding. Just a small ceremony and we'd have it down here somewhere so you and David can come without having to brave the depths of Alaskan winter," I told her. She squealed softly and hugged me.

"That'd be wonderful, Leia. Maybe by then the tribe will have loosened up a bit and will actually let you have the ceremony in Forks. I know some of the tribe wouldn't mind coming, not to mention Charlie," she said. I tilted my face up at her so she could see my surprise.

"You really think they'll make an exception to the treaty that quickly?" I asked. She shrugged and then sighed.

"I think Jake is seriously considering issuing a challenge to Sam. If he does, and wins, I think a lot of things will change. Not overnight, but...soon. But I swear if Jacob gets himself killed..." she shuddered and I pulled her gently to me in what I hoped was a comforting hug.

"They don't have to...fight to the death? Surely?" I asked, deeply concerned at the thought. Sarah shook her head and choked a bit before she answered.

"No, but...you've seen them fight for real, haven't you? Not just the play fighting they do on the rez. They won't be pulling any punches in a challenge fight," she said darkly. I hugged her again.

"Well, I haven't _seen_ them fight, but my family has. They have a lot of good things to say about Jake's fighting style. He took a lot more from Jasper's lessons than Sam did. I know fighting vampires is different from fighting wolves, but..." I trailed off as my phone vibrated and rang in my pocket. _Black Magic Woman_. Sarah pulled away.

"I'll let you answer that. I shouldn't leave them alone with the boat anyway," she said and I heard the forced cheerfulness in her voice. I was almost tempted to ignore Alice to finish talking to Sarah, but she was already striding towards the boat. So I answered my phone.

"_You need to come home. Now_," Alice said. I heard the underlying panic in her voice. As I listened to Adam, Sarah and their father oohing and ahhing over the beautiful woodwork around the boat, I frowned.

"Why, Alice?" I asked, hoping against hope that Alice was just reverting to her old 'I can't see you so I'm gonna freak out' ways and not seeing any real trouble.

"_Jane and Felix are going to be in Seattle before sundown_," she hissed at me and I swear I felt lightheaded. Could vampires faint? I stepped forward a few feet so I could rest a hand on the trailer hitch. I didn't dare touch the boat while I was agitated. I didn't want to break anything important.

"Why?" I hissed back, anger warring with my fear of the bitch goddess and her hulking companion.

"_Irina's in Volterra_," Alice said ominously and now I wondered if a vampire could throw up. Because I swear my stomach did a backflip. If Irina was in Volterra, then why were Jane and Felix coming to Seattle instead of Alaska? I could only come up with one reason.

"I won't leave them to those cretins. Why, exactly, are they here? What did Aro decide?" I asked her somberly. Alice sighed.

"_Aro wants to know if they are true Children of the Moon or not_," Alice said, her tone impatient.

"You mean real werewolves? As in silver bullet, full moon only werewolves?" I asked incredulously. Alice growled at me

"_Yes, real werewolves. Evidently, according to Eleazar, Caius has made wiping them out into a personal crusade since one of them almost killed him. Wish the bloody thing had suceeded. They are pretty much extinct, and if Caius gets his way, the Quileute wolf pack is toast as well. So let's hope Jane and Felix are smart enough to realize that its genetic and not an infection and that Aro really cares. But that's not your problem, so you get your butt back up here now. Warn them first, of course, but get home now_!"

"It _is_ my problem, Alice. My mate's life and the life of his family might be at stake. I will not leave them defenseless. At the very least I can talk to David and he can see how the tribe wants to handle this. Maybe they'll grow brains and realize we need to present a united front. Pretend to be friendly at the very least. If they're willing to play nice with vampires that's a plus, right?" I said quietly. I was speaking low enough that I didn't _think_ Adam could hear me. From the sound of his chat with his family, he couldn't. I knew from experience that he would be checking up on me in a few seconds at the least, a minute at the most. Gotta love it when your imprint's near every waking thought is connected to you in some way. Though honestly, most of my thoughts revolved around him as well.

"_Leia Rhianna Cullen_..."

"Don't start that with me. Do you think they'll stop with La Push? Irina knows Adam is living with us, so no doubt Aro does too. So forgive me if I'd rather face off with Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dumb with a dozen or so furry vampire assassins at my back than lead them back home," I told her harshly. I heard the conversation on the boat stall and jumped into Adam's vision. Yup, looking straight at me.

"Lei-love?" he asked, no doubt noticing whatever dark expression was on my face, even if he couldn't hear my words. I conjured up a smile for him from somewhere. It seemed to appease him somewhat, because he continued showing things to his dad. He didn't take his eyes off me for more than two seconds at a time, though, so I left the smile plastered on, despite the fact that Alice was pleading with someone on the other end of the line to talk some sense into me.

"_I told you she wouldn't leave, Alice. Listen to what Jasper's telling you. Jane and Felix aren't going to take on the pack alone. They're only here to observe, obviously, and they wouldn't risk Aro's wrath by starting a war without due cause. But she is in no way to face Jane and Felix without at least ten wolves backing her up and will get herself home as soon as the issue resolves itself, or if the wolves refuse her help_," Carlisle told Alice, the last bit directed at me in a voice that was laced with worry.

"Love you, dad! You too, Alice. I'll call you as soon as I know something," I said, loudly enough that Adam could hear this time. No need to alarm him until they were done admiring the boat. Or for half an hour, whichever came first. We would need some privacy to discuss this and the middle of a crowded restuarant wasn't going to cut it. I made a quick call to cancel our lunch reservations and have something delivered to the marina instead. Not that this particular restuarant usually delivered, but the hefty compensation I offered made the hostess drop the phone twice before swearing that someone would arrive within the hour. We could break in the boat's tiny cabin by having a cozy lunch while I broke the bad news.

One hour later

"Move!" I cried, leaping over the table and pushing David and Sarah off their seats. They scrambled to get out of the cabin without knocking themselves out on the bulkhead. The clearance wasn't even five feet here, though when Adam was done there might be a new skylight through to the deck above. I had been praying that the more positive emotions from earlier in the day would carry over and keep Adam's rage at the Volturi from causing a phase. I lamented my poor judgement for several reasons, not the least of which was the integrity of the boat's cabin. But Adam couldn't phase outside. It was broad daylight and there were a few humans about. I heard cracking wood behind me and felt something hard knock against the back of my knees, a piece of the table probably, that caused me to stumble into Sarah. She hadn't quite made it out of the cabin. As she finally scrambled out onto the deck, I heard the sound of more wood splintering and several nasty snarls and a couple of growls. I turned in the stairwell and sighed.

"Oh Adam, I'm sorry," I breathed. Sarah came and pressed against my back with her chin on my shoulder, her eyes taking in the scene for both of us. Adam was sprawled amongst the remains of lunch and several pieces of shattered wood. Thankfully, it looked like the only thing that was damaged beyond repair was the table. The upholstry on the bench seat was shredded, too, and there was a set of claw marks in the floor. I silently cursed my stupidity for doing this here and ruining David's gift. Adam was snarling and struggling to get himself out of the disaster area, but there just wasn't anywhere for him to go. In wolf form, he took up a good two thirds of the cabin. He finally went still and somehow his body language managed to convey resignation. After a couple of minutes, however, he yelped and began to thrash about as if in a panic. A few seconds later, he was back in human form and his face was a mask of horror.

"Oh god, they saw. I told them about, yeah, but they know about Lizzy and Italy, too," Adam croaked as he struggled to his feet. Sarah's eyes went wide and I clenched my hands into fists. I knew that was Adam's biggest fear, that he would give away some family secret to the rest of the pack. We couldn't be sure how they would react. Adam's memories of Lizzy should make it clear that she calm, happy child with no violent tendencies. Hopefully Adam's love for her would color their view of the situation. But if they knew about my 'performance' in Italy, some of them wouldn't be so open to the idea of banding together against Princess Pain and her hulking sidekick. And who knew how David would react. He was just starting to warmup to me.

"Nothing to do for it now," I said with a broken sigh. "Let's give David all the details so he can run interferance with Sam and the elders. If he's willing to do so after he knows everything."

And to my shock and delight, David was more than willing to help after I finished telling him the worst of the details from that disastraous trip to Italy and then explained about the newest addition to the Cullen family, and I didn't mean vampire Bella.

"If I can accept the fact that my shapeshifting wolf son is in love with a vegetarian vampire, I can accept the idea of a half vampire, half human child. Adam's word that she is not dangerous is enough for me. As for what happened in Italy..." here he trailed off and to my surprise actually put his hands on my shoulders in a comforting gesture. "...you did what you thought was right, and if I were honest, I would have done the same if positions were reversed. Not only to ease their suffering but to deny those monsters their sadistic pleasures. That, if nothing else, shows me just how human you are, Leia."

"I...thank you, so much," I said, unable to believe how easily this man adjusted to the unexpected. Finally, I could see exactly where Adam and Sarah had come across their bottomless faith and sense of optimism.

"Wow, dad. That was...so profound. Thank you," Adam said, pulling us both into a quick hug right before Sarah's phone rang. She answered it before the second ring.

"Jake? What's going on?" she asked breathlessly. Adam had assured me that he'd been in wolf form long enough to convey the entire situation to Seth, who had just happened to be on patrol this morning. I knew it hadn't taken long for him to convey everything to Sam, who would have taken the problem to the elders. I was actually shocked that it had taken over half an hour for someone to call back. Until I heard not Jacob's, but Billy Black's tired voice on the other end of the phone.

"No, Sarah, it's Billy. Hun, we've got...well...there's been a fight. Jake's gone and challenged Sam for alpha."


	16. Chapter 16

David Talldeer's POV

My life these days was completely surreal. Until just recently, I'd sworn it was a nightmare though I'd known I was wide awake, no pinching necessary. Years ago, the loss of my wife had shattered me and I was still picking up the pieces. She had left me to raise our beautiful twin children alone and as hard as it was, they became the only brightness in my dark world. But now they were both as good as gone, too, taken from me by the process of imprinting. It was worse than old fashioned arranged marriages, forcing young men and women into relationships whether they were ready for them or not. Stupid cosmic survival instincts.

I had been expected to be nothing but proud when my son had phased six months ago, but I had witnessed the pain caused when Sam Uley unwittingly broke Leah Clearwater's heart when he had imprinted on her cousin Emily. Then I'd watched the aftermath of the 'accident' that had scarred Emily for life. I worried daily that Jacob might have a similar 'accident' with Sarah. But that was nothing compared to my fear when we'd signed a new treaty with Cullen's and I thought I might never see my son again. And yet I was expected to take it stoically, as if my son weren't more important to me than my position on the tribal counsel.

Flashback

_"Adam, the elders has agreed to offer you a choice. You can either stay with the tribe or leave with the Cullen's. If you choose to leave with the Cullen's, you will be subject to the same limitations as they are under the treaty," Billy said solemnly and I barely controlled the protest welling up inside me. Adam's dark eyes, so like his mother's, moved to mine. I saw sorrow there but there was also acceptance. He had been expecting this, thankfully. I had hinted at it more than once, not wanting him to be blindsided by this decision._

_Each time we had discussed the renegotiation of the treaty, several of the elders were always adamant that Adam must choose where his loyalties lay. Sam and I had both assured them that it wasn't a fair choice. Leia was the center of his universe and he had to be near her. In a way, it was that arguement that had brought them, us, to this conclusion. Adam had imprinted on one of the Cold Ones, our ancient enemies, and as such could not be trusted to put the tribe before his instincts to protect his mate. If the treaty was ever broken and war broke out, he would be forced to fight with the Cullen's. So he, too, had to be banned from the reservation to protect our people. _

_"She is my imprint, Billy. You know I have no choice but to follow Leia when she goes," Adam said quietly. Beside him, I noticed that Leia Cullen's expression was stormy. I prayed that she would hold her tongue. I knew most of my peers were hoping for a show of violence by the Cullen's. The first sign of lost control would result in a shutdown of negotiations. Or a showdown with the pack. Only myself, a couple of the wolf pack and Billy Black held any sympathy for the Cullen's. Our influence was enough to bring about this meeting, but it wasn't enough to bring about true peace between us. The trust built during our fight against the newborn army was a fragile one._

_I saw Edward Cullen reach out and touch Leia's elbow. Then his free hand moved so fast it was a blur. Was he using hand signals to communicate with his family? I knew I should be alarmed, but if he was telling them not to argue, I was glad._

_"Most of us accept the fact that Leia Cullen is your imprint, Adam, but some of the elders are of the belief that since your imprint is not human, it would be possible to leave her if you chose. You have often spent days out of her presence with little consequence," Billy said tiredly, echoing the argument two of the other elders had used last night. It had always been understood that imprinting was for the purpose of ensuring the shapeshifting ability would be passed on. The fact that Adam had imprinted on a vampire, who wasn't capable of reproducing, had thrown us all for a loop._

_"Respectfully, sirs, that's wrong," Adam said, his tone sad. "If the Cullen's will have me, I will follow them when they leave." _

_"Adam is my daughter's mate. He is as much a part of the family as Bella is and as such is welcome in our home," Carlisle said calmly. The doctor hadn't changed his expression or his tone since they had arrived an hour ago. Edward hadn't bothered to hide the fact that he could hear the thoughts of everyone present except for Bella, often addressing some random unspoken question during our talks. _

_Bella had talked to us at length earlier, repeating the argument she had given us at Charlie's a week ago. She looked horrified now, as if she just realized just how much most of the tribe mistrusted, and to an extent feared, the vampires she loved like family. She turned her face into Edward's shoulder as if she could block out the scene before her. He had his arm, that arm that I knew held the strength of a hundred men, around her tenderly. I knew instinctively that he would never hurt her, not intentionally anyway. Seeing the obvious love they shared, I could almost understand her willingness to become one of them. And in the end, the safety of the tribe had outweighed our need to protect Bella Swan from what most of us saw as her own self-imposed destruction. _

_"Thank you, Dr. Cullen," Adam said, obviously grateful to the elder vampire. Carlisle reached out to pat his back in a reassuring manner and I felt an overwhelming sense of jealousy. That was my son he was comforting. It was my son he would be watching over in the coming years while I was left to worry about his fate; at least, in theory. I doubted Sarah would agree to shun her brother. Even if they only exchanged letters and clandestine phone calls, she would not let him disappear from her life. I could keep tabs on him through Sarah._

_Or, perhaps I, too, would thumb my nose at the rest of my peers by refusing to treat my son like an outcast. Which would mean getting to know his mate. My tribe's prejudical fears painted her and her family as soul-less, unempathetic monsters, but I already knew that wasn't an accurate assumption. Case in point, Edward and Bella. The love they shared shone as bright as the love between Sam and Emily, Sarah and Jacob. Perhaps more so since it wasn't based on an imprint. And then there was Leia. Each time I had been in her presence, she had been quiet, though not shy. Instead she seemed very passionate about protecting her family and friends. I had seen the gentle way she had clung to Adam the day he had brought her to our home and my observation of them, not to mention our conversation, had done much to relieve my fears for my son. Leia really did seem to love Adam as much as he obviously loved her. And just maybe, the rest of the Cullen's could find a little room in their hearts to welcome my son when his own family, his tribe, could not._

End Flashback

I had decided the following day that I would _not _treat my son like an outcast. I had approached Sarah and we had devised a plan to keep ourselves part of Adam's life. We knew we would have to start out small and not even Jacob could know. Sarah and I had openly planned a handful of father/daughter outings in Seattle, Portland and the surrounding areas. And then she had invited Adam to come along. It had felt good to see the happiness in Adam's eyes when he met us that first afternoon in Seattle for a Mariners game. He had hugged me until my my back popped, but I didn't complain. I had been trying my best to squeeze the breath out of him as well.

Jacob had suspected what was going on, and so the rest of the pack did too, but to my surprise none of them mentioned it. Not even when Jacob invited himself along when we'd gone to Portland one Sunday for a picnic with Adam. The day before he was scheduled to leave for Alaska. That had been the turning point, I think, for Jacob. He and Adam had always been such close friends, and I think it hit him that he was losing his friend and his wife, his imprint, was losing her twin brother. Perhaps it was because he was Sarah's imprint and could not bear to see her unhappy, but I liked to think he just grew up that day. He'd told Adam to call him if he ever needed anything and then proceeded to ask how Leia was doing. Without any hesitation or bitterness in his tone.

From that day forward, Jacob had been arguing frequently with Sam about pack and tribal issues. He talked with Billy and I about tribal politics and we all agreed that some things needed to change, but it would take a lot of time and effort to override ingrained prejudices. Jacob's biggest concern was the fact that we had basically slammed the door in the face of some powerful allies in the Cullen's because of shorted sighted, willful ignorance. He had confided in Billy and I just last week that he wished he'd gotten the chance to know Leia Cullen better before he'd found out the truth about her. Then maybe he wouldn't have thrown away their budding friendship when he'd finally learned the truth about her nature.

Which brought me back to the present, where I sat next to Leia Cullen. Adam was, of course, sitting on her other side on the bench inside the La Push Reservation Community Center. I was watching her closely, intrigued by the young woman that had captured my son's heart. In the last several hours, I had come to respect this young creature in a way that I'd never thought possible. I was finally able to see past _what _she was and get to know _who_ she was. She was going to be my daughter in law, after all. I found her to be smart, vivacious, compassionate and kind. She also shared the same kind of sarcastic sense of humor that I had observed in my son and daughter over the years. At the moment, though, her forehead actually had a crease in it and her mouth was set in a delicate frown. She was obviously worried. And with good reason.

Billy hadn't said much after he'd announced that Jake and Sam had fought over the pack. Just that Jake had won the fight and that we were to get back to La Push as soon as possible. And to bring Leia with us. After that, Adam and I had hitched the boat up to the back of my truck (after assuring a very remorseful Leia that I could probably fix the broken table and sand down the claw marks myself) and we had driven home as fast as we could with a huge boat behind us. Leia had assured us that the Volturi weren't going to be in Seattle until after six, so Adam and Sarah had insisted we take the boat home. Half way there, we had stopped and Adam had gone into the woods beside the rest area to phase. Fifteen minutes later he'd climbed back into the truck with the information we were all dying to hear.

When Sam had found out about Edward and Bella's child, he had started talking about how it was an abomination that had killed Bella Swan and it was proof that the Cullen's were evil. Then he had proceeded to use Leia's experience in Italy as an illustration of how the Cullen's so-called respect for humans was all a clever ruse. At which point Jacob countered by saying that it actually proved that Leia felt compassion for humans, since she obviously hadn't wanted them to suffer at the hands of sadistic vampires. Sam had snapped then, demanding the pack kill any member of the Cullen coven on sight. That's when Jacob had challenged Sam.

Sam was now, as Adam put it, sulking at home with Emily while the rest of the pack was following Jacob's lead, most of them relieved by the change in alpha. Even Paul, who had always been one of the more aggressive members of the pack, was resigned to Jacob's leadership. Jacob's first action was to demand that Leia be allowed on the rez to help us decide what to do about the Volturi visitors. Half the pack was here and the other half was on patrol. We were just waiting on a couple of the elders to show up. I heard Leia's phone ring, a very faint ringtone that sounded vaguely familiar, but she answered it before I could recognize it.

"Alice," she said, greeting her psychic vampire sister. The one who would know when and where the Volturi were coming from. Leia listened to her for a moment and then nodded. She had already talked to her family twice on the ride down and her phone had vibrated often with texts that she viewed through Adam's eyes before responding to. Even at vampire speed, none of them could have made it here before the confrontation and I could tell by Leia's constant reassurances that they were worried about what might happen. I knew her parents and two others were on a plane from Fairbanks right now. They might be late getting here, but they wouldn't leave Leia to face the aftermath alone.

From Leia's story earlier about her visit to Italy, I knew why they feared the Italian coven. Leia more than so the others because of her traumatic experience. I doubted I even knew all the details, but from the way Adam reacted when the subject had been broached on the boat, I knew it had been far worse than Leia led me to believe.

"Maybe if I went alone?" Leia suggested quietly, the first suggestion that had been in a tone I could hear and understand. I also heard the screech on the other end of Leia's phone that made her jerk it away from her ear. She turned her face up towards Adam, so she could see his reflection in the mirrored glasses she wore. He gave her a wry smile. They had discussed this option only a moment ago, Adam assuring me it was a sure fire way to give Alice insight into the 'possibilities'. I knew it had cost Adam a lot to decide, for even on nanosecond, to let Leia face those monsters alone. But it must have worked. I thought I heard the words 'Jane', 'plaything' and 'pain' amongst the high pitched sounds of distress Alice Cullen was making. From the look on Leia's face (I didn't know a vampire could look nauseous) and the visible vibration of my son's body I knew what she was describing was not good.

"Not a viable option then," Leia said soothingly. She listened for a moment more, her sister's voice once more too quiet for me to hear. "No, Alice, I promise. We just thought it would be a good idea to check it out."

By this time, all the pack members were gathered a few feet in front of us, Jacob in the front. They were listening to the conversation intently. Not for the first time, I wished for super hearing like those in the wolf pack had. I could leave the rest of the baggage that came with phasing, but I wouldn't mind the enhanced senses.

"But you do know when they'll come in? And from which direction?" Leia asked quietly. "No, we don't want them to get anywhere near the center of the rez. They're gathering everyone they can find to a safe loca..." She got cut off, evidently and paused to listen to something her sister was saying. "Yes, I'm sure they'll leave some wolves to guard it. I know that, Alice, but..."

"Tell her I'll send six," Jacob said, obviously hearing the other side of the conversation clearly enough to understand Alice's fears. "Yes, six besides Adam," he clarified after a moment with a grin. Leia gave him a grateful smile and after promising her sister to call again in half an hour, Leia hung up and the meeting began. Two of the elders still weren't here, but they'd be caught up to speed when they came in. The rest of them had already been briefed about the situation, and after some loud protests, had accepted the reasons why Jacob had allowed Leia and Adam onto the rez.

At first, Billy offered to go as a human representative for the tribe. That sparked a short debate. No one doubted seven wolves and a vampire could protect him, but Leia's quiet explanation to the elders of what, exactly, Jane and Felix would have done to her if she'd gone alone had shut down that argument. If they were willing to torture one of own kind just for entertainment, what would they do to a human they considered little better than cattle? And Jane didn't have to be near someone to inflict her own particular brand of pain.

By that time, the other two elders had arrived. They had been in time to hear Leia's description of the aborted future scenario. Faced with the possibility of such monsters traipsing across our land, several members of the tribe, both wolf and elder, supported a simple ambush and kill manuever. Which Jacob shot down with Leia's help, explaining that if the two valued Volturi guards disappeared there would be an army here within a fortnight. So it was decided that they should be met by a delegation small enough not to be considered a threat but large enough to ensure they weren't attacked. It was agreed, however, that if they insisted on pushing forward onto our lands, aggressive force would be used. In this, there would be no compromise, whether it started a war with the Volturi or not.

And so it was that Leia and Adam, along with Jacob and five others, set out at eight o'clock to cut off the vampires at the northern border of La Push. Most of the tribe was gathered in and around the community center with the remaining members of the pack patrolling around the perimeter outside. They rotated manning the huge grill that was used for just such gatherings. Most of the tribe just thought we were having a spontaneous barbeque. Few actually knew that the legends of their tribe's 'spirit wolf' ancestors was more fact than fiction, so we had to have some excuse for trapping them here.

Seth was sitting on the floor beside his mother in one of the small rec rooms, draped in a blanket. Every five minutes, he phased to check the progress of the other group and then relayed it to the rest of us a few minutes later. Most of the elders were either sitting in here or rotating between the crowd of people outside and standing just inside the door with worried expressions. About eight thirty, Seth shifted into wolf form again and was quiet for all of ten seconds before he snarled angrily and then howled. I vaguely noticed two of the elders slipping out of the room. No doubt to try and explain away the sound of wolves to the uninitiated.

"My god, mom. They've...they've decided to bring a human hostage. Alice called to tell Leia that they'd stopped to...feed, and decided to bring one along to keep us from attacking," Seth said once he managed to change back. He was panting and shaky, head down between his arms from his position on hands and knees in the floor. Sue Clearwater wrapped her arms around her son, looking back at Billy and I with terror in her eyes. I rarely ever saw Sue rattled, perhaps only after the husband's death earlier in the year.

"This is not going to end well," I said with a deep sigh, saddened at the thought that someone, probably more than one someone, had just died at the hands of those monsters. Billy shook his head in agreement and we both looked down at Seth, who was already phasing back.

LPOV

"Jake, they won't let her live, regardless," I told Jacob, frustration making me punctuate the words with a growl. They were trying to decide how this affected our approach to the situation since Queen Bitch had decided to 'spare' a four year old child long enough to make her into their safe travel guarantee. "Once they realize you won't let them onto your lands, that child is no better than a snack to them."

"If we promise to keep her on the rez? Raise her as one of our own and swear she'll never tell a soul? I mean, we have a vested interest in keeping their secrets," Jacob said, his face set in a determined scowl. Of the pack, he was the only one in human form at the moment. I was leaning against Adam, one hand buried in the ruff at his neck. He kept nuzzling my hair in an attempt to calm me down, or perhaps to calm himself down. He had been on two legs until Alice's most recent phone call. He hadn't changed back so I knew he was dealing with some powerful emotions.

"You can try, but if it doesn't work the only other way to save the child is through threat or brute force. I doubt the child would live through an attempt at either," I said curtly. Jacob looked like he wanted to argue with me, no doubt wanting to say that saving the child was the only option. But he couldn't say that, because it was hard to blur that line between the good of many versus the good of one. I was ashamed to think like that, desparate to come up with a way to rescue the child without causing a fight that, though the wolves might win, would result in a devastating outcome in the very near future. At times like these, I cursed the powers that be for handicapping Alice's ability to see around the wolves. For a moment, I thought about going to rescue the child on my own. My phone chimed immediately. A text. Jacob was nice enough to stare at the screen for me.

**Don't u dare! -A**

**Will it work? -L **

**No. -A**

**Hell no! -E**

So much for that approach, though I was surprised that Edward had chimed in as well. Maybe they were worried that I would try it despite Alice's warning. I shuddered at what Alice must have seen. No doubt my not-so-quick and painful death, again. Or torture at the very least. Jacob looked at me in question. I explained and Adam actually shoved me against the nearest tree, pining me there with one massive paw. I heard low growls of denial from the rest of the pack as well. I sighed.

"If we can get the child away safely, they might still play nice. With only two of the guard, Jasper didn't think they would start a fight without serious provocation. That's why they took her in the first place, to make sure you would allow them on your lands without a fight," I said wearily. Adam stepped back from me and managed to phase back to human form. He clutched me against him.

"Please don't do anything stupid, Leia. If they hurt you, I can't promise to keep from ripping both of them to pieces," he said hoarsely. I stroked his hair and grimaced.

"That works both ways, you know. But honestly, none of you can risk a show of active aggression. If the chance comes to snatch the child, I'll have to be the one that does it. Edward said they'll under estimate my abilities because of my blindness, so I've got the best shot. If I can get her and get back to your circle of protection, the worst Jane can do is cause me a little pain. They won't dare try to snatch the child back and Jane can't pain zap all of us at once," I said cautiously, and then prayed that I wasn't underestimating Jane's abilities. I felt Adam grip my upper arms hard and he pushed me away from him. No doubt to glare at me, though for once I was glad I couldn't see his expression and didn't bother to check his reflection in my glasses to see it. I could feel the vibrations that told just how close he was to phasing again, though.

"You will not put yourself in danger," he said sharply.

"If I can save the child from certain death, I will. I have been forced to stand by while these monsters took lives; have been an instrument of death to spare their victims pain. If I could save one, just one from not only fear and torture, but from death? I have to try, Adam," I said, rage warring with despair inside my body. I fought hard to keep the despair from winning, wishing not for the first time that Jasper was here. For his calming presence and his head for strategy.

"Oh, Leia," Adam breathed, clutching me close again. I knew he would be torn between helping me acheive my goal and keeping me safe. No doubt he would opt for the later if a child's life wasn't at stake.

My phone chimed again.

**3 minutes. I want constant updates! -A**

**Of course. -L**

**Don't do anything stupid. Lizzy would miss you. -B and E**

**Tell Lizzy I love her and I'll see her soon. -L**

Bella and Edward were trying to lay on a guilt trip. Or Edward was and he'd used Bella's initial to try and up the ante. Little did they know that thinking of Lizzy wasn't exactly a deterrent. Having known the love of a child, it was even harder to accept the suffering of another child. It made me even more determined to save her. Adam, Jacob and I had a quick, hushed conversation about positions and probabilities. Jasper and Edward had both offered their insights on the phone earlier, but we were all unsure how this confrontation would go down. In the end, it was Jacob who stayed in human form. As alpha, he was acting chief of the tribe and had the authority to negotiate terms. Adam almost seemed to relax in his wolf form, no doubt feeling he could protect me better that way.

"I can hear them. Approaching from there," I said, pointing in the correct direction. Our little party adjusted minutely to face the coming danger head on. I could hear the child's heartbeat, too fast even for a child. As they got closer, the sound of her harsh breathing was loud in my sensitive ears. Alice said they hadn't harmed her physically, but threats to bite off her toes if she made a single sound had frightened her into silence. I forced my clenched fists to uncurl and let me expression slip into neutral.

"Jane. Felix." I spoke their names slightly louder than conversation volume once I was sure they could hear me. They had slowed, no doubt smelling the wolves and hearing their large, thumping heartbeats. There was just a slight hesitation in their step at my call. I let the fact bolster my confidence. Jacob tensed beside me and I knew he could smell them. I wondered if he could pick up the scent of dried blood and urine as well. The little girl had wet herself and was either covered in the blood of her parents or was hurt in some way herself. I reached out and threaded my hand into Adam's fur to keep myself grounded. My other hand was in my pocket so I could text Alice.

They moved into view just across the stream that made up the northern border of the reservation, two figures cloaked in grey, the larger of the two holding the child under his arm much like Emmett would hold a football. She was limp, but I didn't think she was unconscious. Her skin was tan, not like the Quileutes, but like that of a child that spent much of her time outside in the sun. Perhaps she wasn't a native of the area, then, since the perpetual dampness kept most children indoors and those that did venture outside rarely sported any sign of sun exposure. She wore a frilly green dress and one of her white patent leather shoes was missing. Jake's eyes made out the smear of blood on the back of her dress. Not hers I didn't think.

"Well, well. Leia Cullen. Mingling with the natives? I thought your _family_ had moved north," Jane said, a sneer on her face and the word 'family' clearly meant to be derisive. She really hadn't expected to see me here. Felix's expression wasn't much better, but there was a glint in his eyes that made me supress a shudder of distaste. I really didn't like the hulking brute and the feeling was obviously mutual.

"She's just visiting. Leia is welcome on our lands. She has proven herself a friend to us," Jake said, his tone even. I was using his eyes to see, so I didn't know if he was keeping a calm expression or if he was glowering.

"I was under the impression you had banished all the Cullen's from your lands, including one of your own kind because he, what was it Felix?" Jane asked, not bothering to look at her companion.

"Imprinted on her," Felix offered, his voice a low rumble. Jake saw the girl tremble under his arm at the sound of it.

"Ah yes, imprinted. Our dear, mutual friend Irina tells us that means you're mated...mated!...to one of these," Jane waved her hand at the wolves and laughed, her tinkling high pitched laughter grating on my nerves. "Werewolves," she finished, her expression going cold now that she'd worn out her amusement. Her nose was slightly wrinkled against the powerful smell of the wolves, ruining her attempt to look completely in control. I grinned.

"Yes, Adam is my mate, though I wouldn't believe everything our _dear friend _Irina might have said on the subject of the Quileute shapeshifters. Shapeshifters, not werewolves," I stated, making my voice deceptively lazy but making certain to inject some completely unfeigned contempt at the mention of Irina's name. I held her responsible for this debacle and I was seething inside from the intended insult to both myself and the wolf pack from these monsters.

"Not true Children of the Moon, then?" Felix asked, his eyes flickering up as if to check the moon's phase, which I knew to be waning. Not that he could see it. The sky was, as usual, overcast.

"The moon has nothing to do with our ability to phase. It's genetic, triggered by the presence of vampires in the area. A defensive mechanism for our tribe to protect our people from yours," Jake spoke now, telling them the truth in as few words as possible. Jasper had advised against long explanations.

"That remains to be seen. That is why we are here, to judge whether or not you're tribe poses a threat to the vampire nation," Jane said with another sneer. It really did make her baby doll face twist into an almost ugly facade. I felt the rest of the pack tense behind me and heard the low rumble of growls.

"We pose a threat only to those that disrespect human life within and around our territory," Jake said, his voice deep and laced with rage. He was shaking now, too. I laid a hand on his arm but didn't speak, instead showing my support of him in the eyes of the Volturi. Felix snarled and dropped into a half crouch, the child falling to the ground at his feet. She whimpered softly and curled in upon herself, not daring to move or cry. Jane laughed harshly.

"Do you seek to threaten us, wolfman? It would be wise to allow us safe passage and right to observe. We wouldn't want to harm this child because you made us angry. I'm sure Leia Cullen can tell you that fighting with us would be futile. Perhaps a demonstration?" she said and then my world exploded in fire. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough to drive me to my knees and cry out in pain. I wasn't surprised that I was her first victim. Jasper had speculated that since the wolves were an unknown, Jane couldn't know that her power would work on them. If she wanted to make a point early on I was in for some pain. When I came back to myself, the wolves were all growling and crouched to spring. Jake was standing in front of Adam, his arms slung around the white wolf's shoulders in an attempt to calm him. I struggled to my feet and grabbed a handful of Adam's fur.

"I'm fine, I'm okay. I'm fine, don't, love," I murmured to him despite the fact that I was still shaking with residual tremors caused by my recent bout of pain. Adam immediately turned his head towards me and Jake released him.

"That was uncalled for. Do it again and I can't promise to hold him back. The wolf instinct is stronger than the man when our imprints are attacked. Suffice it to say the child is enough leverage for now and leave off your demonstrations," Jacob snarled. I could sense just how close he was to phasing right now.

"As long as we understand each other, wolfman," Jane said with a curt nod. Jake noticed gleam of sadistic glee in her bright red eyes though. She had definitely enjoyed that. I stroked the fur between Adam's eyes and murmured softly until my tremors and his growls both ceased. Jake was talking with Jane, answering her questions about when and how each member of the pack had started phasing. He lead her to believe that other than the seven wolves here, only one remained behind to report to the elders. I was glad that Irina had obviously never asked specifics about the wolf pack. Not that anyone in the family had ever told the Denali's specifics beyond what they needed to know about Adam.

"I would speak with one of your elders. Take us to him," Jane said sharply. Jake didn't move.

"As alpha of our pack, I am acting chief of this tribe, so my word should be good enough. We have agreed to answer your questions and you may even examine us closely, but you will not be allowed near our people with the blood of humans still drying on your clothes and an innocent child under your thrall," Jacob said in challenge, obviously unafraid of irrating Jane. I'd never taken him for a masochist. So much for negotiating to free the child.

I cringed against Adam then, knowing what would happen next. My instincts were proven true by Jacob's initial grunt of pain and the darkening of his vision. I stole into Adam's eyes and saw Jacob was down on one knee, head bent and one hand dug into the earth under him. From the tense set of his shoulders, I knew he was still under but he held completely still and, to my shock, actually lifted his pain twisted face to glare at Jane. Not even Edward had managed that much control under Jane's glare. Maybe the wolves had some kind of protection from mental intrusion. Then again, Edward had no trouble reading their thoughts, so maybe Jake just had a really high pain tolerance.

I knew the minute Jane let him go because his face went slack. From the vibrations and waves of heat I felt coming off his body, I knew he was going to phase in about three seconds. In those three seconds, I knew that I had to act if I was going to save the child. Felix had stepped in front of Jane, leaving the child curled up three yards to the right and back of him. They were focused on Jake and well they should be, but I knew the minute he phased they would immediately bring the child to the fore as insurance that he would not retaliate against Jane for her show of power. And then they would try to force themselves onto Quileute lands, something that had already been agreed was not an option. Even, I feared, at the expense of the child's life. This was her only chance.

I knew coming at them directly wouldn't work, so I darted off to so fast that a human wouldn't have registered my flight. Adam obviously did, because I felt just the slightest resistance as his claws caught in the hem of my shirt and tore it. I had to switch to one of the other wolves for sight because he was looking off in my direction. To my great relief, he didn't follow me. Or perhaps he was just in shock. Maybe he was hoping, I as hoped the other two vampires would assume, I had run away from the confrontation.

Adam and I had walked off the area surrounding the clearing, so I was able to grasp the low, thick branch and flip myself up and back towards the stream without losing too much momentum. I heard the branch crack from the force exerted, but I had already let go. I had timed my release at just the right angle to clear the small thicket of brambles as I soared through the air, just missing two trees as I tore needles and small twigs from their branches as I zoomed past. I was overjoyed when, as I'd planned, my acrobatic maneuver flung me right into the ground beside the child. Two and a half seconds after I left Adam's side, I scooped the child up and leapt over Jane's head and back towards the wolves just as Jake phased in an explosive flurry of denim and russet fur.

I was allowed a tenth of a second to believe my plan had worked perfectly. Would have, too, if Felix hadn't ruined it. His hand flashed out to catch my ankle just as Jane fixed her painful glare on me. I managed one moment of clarity before the pain engulfed me and I launched the child into the middle of the pack of wolves before I hit the ground screaming. I knew the chances of the child being injured by the toss were good, but her chances were better than if she'd been left with the Voodoo Priestess and her Conan-sized acolyte. I vaguely noticed I was being pulled back across the ground towards Felix. The pain in my ankle barely registering against the fire in my venom laced veins and I couldn't concentrate on the shouts and howls around me. I sent up a prayer to whatever God might be listening to spare the Adam and the child from Jane's wrath.


	17. Chapter 17

The metallic sound of vampire flesh being rended apart was the first thing I registered as the pain cut off abruptly. And to both my horror and delight, it wasn't my flesh being ripped apart. Well, I didn't count having Felix's fingers literally dug into my ankle as being ripped apart. Painful as hell, though it did give me a chance to use his eyes to survey the scene. What I saw made me want to shout for joy, despite the dread sinking in the pit of my stomach. Jane was in pieces. Three of them to be precise. Her body flung to the side, her head on the ground at Adam's feet, or paws as it were, and Jake had the bottom half of her leg in his mouth. The rest of the wolves were clustered in a circle around the moaning child. Well, at least it looked like we'd won a tiny battle in what was sure to become an all out war. I could feel my pocket vibrating almost constantly and knew Alice was desperate for an update.

**Child is safe. Jane in pieces. -L**

I knew that would probably just throw everyone into a panic, but I didn't get a chance to text again because Felix roared and jerked me up against him. One of his massive arms pinned me against him and I felt his teeth at my neck. I knew an instant of raw fear until I realized he was threatening me in an attempt to stop the wolves from making Jane into a life sized jigsaw puzzle. Or more of one, anyway. Adam's snarls and growls turned into short, distressed howls. Jacob spit Jane's arm onto the ground and moved so he was shoulder to shoulder with Adam.

"You will pay for this treachery!" Felix growled. I could feel his venom dripping against my neck and resisted the urge to shudder. I saw Adam's head nod briefly at Jacob and then he took Jane's hair in his teeth and dragged her head back towards the circle of wolves, growling low the whole time. Once Adam was closer to them than Felix and I, Jacob phased back into human form. His expression was satisfied, but I could see a hint of unease in his eyes though Felix's vision.

"I warned the bitch not to antagonize Adam any further. Leia was simply trying to save an innocent child and he was defending his mate. Not to mention using her voodoo pain thing on me was the worst thing she could have done. Animal instinct is to attack when something causes pain and I can be as much beast as man at times," Jacob said with a wicked grin.

"Animal instinct is no excuse for killing my companion. The Volturi will descend on your tribe like an angel of death for this, dog," Felix hissed, his arm tightening around my chest until I actually felt discomfort. I dug my nails into his arm and was vindicated when I heard him hiss with pain. I would have bit him, too, if I wasn't certain that I might join the headless vampire club with Jane as a result.

"We haven't kill her. Yet. Lucky for her I didn't bring a lighter with me. I'm well aware that your kind can put itself back together. So, I'll bargain with you. The Pretty Pretty Princess of Pain puzzle for Leia. Then you can run back to your masters and tell them we aren't going to expose your secrets anymore than we'll expose our own. We don't want to start a war. If we did, you would both be ashes right now. We just want to be left alone. I know one of your coven leaders can read your every thought, so make sure he gets the message," Jacob said angrily. I sensed Felix's eyes widen as he realized the wolves knew how to kill a vampire. Then his eyes narrowed and he shook me violently. I swear I felt the bones in my neck crack. There was a snarl of displeasure from Adam, but none of the wolves moved.

"That's how you managed all those newborns this spring. You had help," he said angrily. Once I steadied myself against his chest, I managed to shrug, though the movement was limited due to his vice like grip.

"We have a treaty with them, so they were willing to help us defend ourselves and our mutual territory," I said simply, not elaborating too much on the whole newborn battle. I would have loved to call him on the fact that the if the Volturi had done their jobs in the first place we wouldn't have needed to drag the wolves into it. But I didn't think he would appreciate that. Did I mention I didn't want to be headless?

"The law claims them and your family for revealing our secrets," Felix said then, smugness evident in his voice. I snorted softly.

"They've known about 'our' secrets for centuries. Our family had nothing to do with it. It's part of their tribal histories. The vampires that killed their ancestors are responsible for revealing the secret and they were dealt with on the spot," I told him, desperate to defend my mate's people from a death sentence. I knew Felix could care less, but Aro might. I didn't know if avoiding a war was possible since Adam and Jake had made mince of Wonder Twin number one, but I had to present a reasonable argument.

I was waiting for Felix to respond when I heard the sound of another wolf approaching. Felix watched as Jacob seemed to relax under his glare and I knew when he heard, or probably smelled, the approaching wolf because his teeth went back to my neck. His growl reverberated through my diamond hard body and I felt as much as heard my petrified ribs creak from the pressure exerted on them. I managed not to wince, for Adam's sake. Instead inhaled as much as I could with my lungs being squished and picked up Sam's scent mingled with...freshly chopped wood and just a hint of butane?

"She's right. My tribe has known about your kind for a long time. We have a name for vampires. The Cold Ones. We have never gone out of our way to hunt you down, only to defend what's ours. And we've never revealed the presence of vampires to other humans. We made a treaty with the Cullen's, so we can try to come to an understanding with your coven as well. But all bets are off if you hurt another human in our territory, or if you don't stop vamp-handling my best friend's imprint," Jake said darkly. Felix locked eyes with him then, tense and still. No doubt thinking through the possibilities.

"They aren't bluffing, Felix. I know your master wants his pet back, so unless you want to see her dancing in a bonfire, just let it go," I said softly, my tone cajoling. And maybe there was just a hint of mocking in there too. Evidently having Jane in pieces did wonders for my confidence, threat of beheading or no. Ten seconds later, Sam's arrival broke Felix and Jake's stare down as both turned to watch as the huge black wolf loped over and dropped a bundle of firewood to the ground at Jake's feet. A lighter was tucked under the string holding it together, which Jake grabbed immediately.

"Thank you, Sam. Now, we just want to live in peace without any red eyed visitors to worry about. We won't make trouble for you if you don't make trouble for us. If your masters want to talk more, tell them to call the Cullen's and arrange a conference call or something. As for the girl, we'll make sure she doesn't tell anyone about your kind or ours, so theirs no need to worry about her. On the other hand, your friend there...and over there, and oh, right here, might deserve a little concern," Jacob said, flicking the lighter on and off in a disjointed rhythm as he pointed out the pieces of Jane's body. Felix's grip tightened and loosened in rhythm with each click and release. Fire made all vampires nervous. Even me. But honestly, I'd jump through flames to get us out of this situation unscathed. I just hoped Felix was willing to jump through hoops to keep Jane from becoming ashes.

"If either of us does not return to Volterra, the guard will not rest until all of your people are dead. Starting with this little _puttana_," Felix growled, calling me a nasty word in Italian. I felt more venom drip down my neck and couldn't help but shudder again. Okay, maybe he needed a little more convincing to play nice.

"Then let me go and take Humpty Dumpty there back home and put her together again. Its a win-win situation because in all honesty, you're drooling on me and it's rather disgusting," I said quietly, unable to refrain from being a bit snarky after his insult. It was one of my coping mechanisms, honestly, as Edward could attest too. But he wasn't here, so my usual internal monologue was leaking verbally for lack of an audience. And it made Felix blink as if surprised, so felt smug about it. Until his teeth sliced into my neck. Not deeply, but enough to make me bite back a cry that was more fear than pain. Evidently my need to be a smart mouth was not helping my desire to keep my head attached to my body.

Felix watched as Adam leapt towards him, only to be intercepted by Jacob and one of the other wolves. Quil, I thought. Felix stepped back several feet in self preservation and his teeth left my neck, which made Adam stop trying to get around his furry blockade. All was quiet (if you discounted Adam's nearly inaudible growling) for another few seconds as both sides sized up the situation.

"Fine, bring her to me and I'll give you back this smart mouthed little _stronza,_" Felix finally spat, shaking me again. He had obviously decided that he was vastly outnumbered and he needed to grab Jane and retreat. Despite the shaking he gave me, I was relieved. I immediately saw Adam slump against Jacob as the fight seemed to leave him. I felt a pang of regret for causing him so much stress. But through Felix's eyes, I could see the four wolves gathered in a protective circle around the little girl and I could hear her heartbeat and the tiny whimpering sounds she made. She was safe and for the moment, it was worth the stress. I might rethink that once Alice had a clear view of the future, but for now it was enough to make me bold.

"Ouch, Felix. Tell me how you really feel about me," I said sarcastically in response to his second insult of the day as I watched Adam, Sam and Jacob drag bits of Jane to Felix's feet. Adam planted his front feet and lowered his head to Felix, not in agression as before, but in what looked to be...an apology? I knew he was not sorry for ripping Jane to pieces, but he was definitely sorry it had ended with me at Felix's mercy. I longed to tell him not to subject himself in any way to these monsters, but I didn't want to give Felix a reason to lash out at my beloved while he stood within easy striking distance.

"Now, run back to your people. I will release her once I can no longer smell your foul odor," Felix said with a growl, not willing to give up his hostage until he was sure he was safe. Adam's submissive posture changed again, his ears laid back and his lips pulled back in a silent snarl. Felix snarled right back at him.

"I can not carry Jane and your little hell cat as well. I will release her, you have my word," Felix said, the oath at the end spat out as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. Promising anything to the people that had just proven vampires weren't the only monsters at the top of the food chain had to grate on him. If my brother was to be believed, and I trusted his opinion since he had an inside view of the vampire's oh-so-swelled head, Felix had an ego the size of Canada. No doubt he wanted to rip me limb from limb as the wolves had done to Jane and then engage in a battle with the pack. But he knew Jane was Aro's pride and joy and could not risk returning to Volterra without her. He was also smart enough, presumably, to know he couldn't take on seven monster wolves and come out on top.

"Go, Adam. he will keep his word," I said quietly, longing to reach out and touch his soft white fur. He looked up at me and his answering growl was low as he shook his head. I sighed. "Please, baby? Alice will call if I need you, I swear."

"Come on, Adam. Even if he could carry both of them, it would slow him down. We'll give you five minutes. If she's not free by then, you're ashes," Jacob said, directing the last at Felix. I heard the monster vampire gritting his teeth, but he nodded. With that, Jake moved into the circle of wolves and scooped up the little girl. I heard her gasp and then I heard Jacob whisper soft, comforting words to her. I listened her quiet sobs as Felix watched Jake run off surrounded by his pack. Adam, Sam and Quil backed away slowly and finally, after Adam gave me one last lingering look, they too turned and ran out of the clearing.

Felix remained still, listening and occasionally inhaling deeply. He was watching the pile of Jane at his feet twitch about feebly and I couldn't help but be creeped out by the sight. It reminded me of when I had been in more than one piece myself, not so long ago. After two full minutes, Felix relaxed and I waited for the moment when he would drop me. I heard Adam's howl about two miles away, close enough that both Felix and I could hear him. I didn't know if he was warning Felix or trying to comfort me, but either way it was reassuring.

"Let me go now, Felix. Tell Aro I'm sorry we couldn't do this peacefully. You shouldn't have brought the child as a shield. Their first instinct will always be to protect human life, so flaunting a traumatized child in front of them was just begging for a fight. It also reinforced their resolve to refuse you passage on their lands," I said, managing to speak without the snark this time. Behind my ear, I heard Felix snarl. He wasn't happy with this outcome at all.

"I will show him everything and your tribe of pet wolves will be exterminated within a fortnight, little _stronza_. As for you, I promised to release you, but I didn't say I would not show you a lesson in manners first," he said just before he grabbed my wrist in his hand and jerked my hand to his mouth. I screamed and struggled, but in the end, it did little good. In a flash, I lost three fingers from my right hand. The pain was minimal compared to when I'd lost my whole arm, but it was still a shock. I heard Adam howl again in the distance, this time with undeniable rage coloring it. Felix's grip finally loosened and I managed to twist away from him. I fell to the ground, my sight lost, but I heard Felix before I heard three distinct plops in the water of the stream several feet away to my right. My fingers. In a hurry now, Felix gathered Jane's bits and ran, his gait slightly heavier than before due to his burden.

Five seconds later, my phone began to ring. I ignored it because twenty seconds after that, Adam was at my side. I hid my hand in the fold of my shirt. I knew if he saw it before I could calm him down, he'd chase after Felix. He lowered his head and sniffed at my body, growling as he skimmed over my neck where Felix had bitten me. The venom still stung, though it was nothing compared to the pain in my hand. Sam came in behind him, but I had eyes only for Adam. I flung my good arm around his neck and clung to him. His growls tapered off into comforting whuffs and nuzzles. Sam paused, watching us for a moment before I heard him shift.

"We heard you scream," Sam asked hesitantly, hopefully. I knew he wanted a reason to chase after Felix, so I didn't let it hurt my feelings. Adam turned his head and snarled, however, causing the other Quileute to back up a fraction. A glance through Adam's eyes showed a tired, regretful looking Sam. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean...I don't wish harm on you. I just wish I'd been here to help tearing her apart. I'm sorry for what I said about your family, Leia. I still don't like you, but I'm trying my best not to hate you anymore."

"That's a start. Tell Emily thanks," I said gently, watching his eyes go wide at the last and then he wore a slightly sheepish expression. I wasn't ready to forgive him for ordering Lizzy's death and I knew that only Emily could have talked sense into him. Sarah had gone to talk with her as soon as we'd returned to the rez, carrying a picture of Lizzy taken a few days ago. No doubt Emily had a lot to say to Sam about his attitude after that. I heard Adam's soft wheezing wolf chuckle and knew he would tell me all about it later. And hopefully he was amused enough that I could ask my next question without causing too much angst. I held up my right hand.

"So, maybe you'll help us find my fingers then, yeah?"

My phone was ringing again, not _Black Magic Woman _this time, but _Leia's Grace_. No doubt Alice was in the throes of visions of future decisions made by the Volturi. I reluctantly pulled it out of my pocket as I directed a very snarly Adam and a reluctant Sam in the direction I'd heard my fingers splash down. Luckily, Adam seemed more concerned with putting me back together than angry at Felix. Adam's keen nose picked them up easily and Sam splashed into the water to get them as I answered my phone.

"_Leia, what happened?" _Edward sounded frantic. I sighed.

"Short version or long version?" I asked, trying to keep my voice light. Edward growled at me and I decided short version would suffice and then they could ask questions. I'd texted Alice up until Jane had zapped Jacob so I started there. "Well, Jane zapped Jake and I knew he was going to phase after, so I went to get the girl since Felix left her alone to protect Jane. I managed to get her and I tossed her to the wolves before Felix grabbed me. Adam and Jake attacked Jane in retaliation and kinda left her in pieces. I'm sure Alice saw. So, Felix held me hostage until they promised not to burn her to ashes and then he took her and left."

"_I know there's more to it than that, Leia. Why did Felix think you needed a lesson in manners? He bit off your fingers!" _Edward was livid, yeah. I heard a soft cry in the background. Bella, I thought. If Edward was this upset I hoped they hadn't told Esme yet. She would be frantic. I wrinkled my nose, looking through Adam's eyes to see Sam was picking up finger number three.

"I'm lucky he resisted the urge to take my head off, too, Edward. I think he knew Adam wouldn't let him get away with that. As for why, I suppose he decided it was fitting to leave me in more pieces than Jane and...I might have irritated him a little," I admitted softly. I heard Adam snort loudly and his sight went back to me. "Okay, so, enough of that. It's over, Sam and Adam are retrieving my fingers so I'll be good as new in a few minutes. It's the aftermath I'm worried about. What does Alice see?"

"_In a minute, Leia. We need to know exactly what was done and said so we have an idea of what Aro will be seeing through Felix and Jane_," Jasper said from somewhere near Edward. I grimaced and began to give them the long version. Sam approached me hesitantly and dropped my fingers in my lap before he turned and left the clearing. Adam, by this time, had managed to phase back and he came over to kneel next to me as I talked. Occasionally he added commentary, his tone angry as he told them about my inappropriate timing for witty comebacks. His words, not mine. All the while he was holding my hand gently, holding my fingers back in the right position. There was a long pause in conversation when he held up my hand for me to lick at the severed digits. The phone was in my lap on speaker, so he kept talking as my fingers began to heal. We both knew from our previous experience that this part of the process hurt almost as much as the initial removal and it took several minutes.

"_All back together?" _Edward asked a few minutes later, his voice finally reflecting more concern than anger or exasperation. Even, I thought wistfully, a little pride? Adam had finished his tale and I had recounted the last of my conversation with Felix. We had been discussing the pros and cons of our confrontation as I healed. Evidently Jasper thought things had gone well, considering. He'd known the wolves, Adam especially, would react if Jane tried her power on me. With a defenseless child in the mix, neither was surprised that there had been violence. At least we had allowed Felix to take Jane home. Despite how angry Felix and Jane would be, hopefully leaving them both alive would work in our favor. Alice couldn't see Aro making a firm plan of action yet. There were too many possibilities.

"Just a little tingly now. We can head back to the community center. I want to check up on the girl," I said as Adam scooped me up into his arms without disturbing the phone in my lap.

"_Carlisle will be there in fifteen minutes. Rose, Emmett and Esme will stay at the house so they aren't overwhelmed by too many of us at once_," Alice said in the background and I relaxed against against Adam, relieved to have Dad take over the Cullen responsibility during these chats. I was mentally exhausted. I snuggled against Adam and rested my ear above his heartbeat.

"It was worth it," I murmured.

"I won't with argue that, despite the amount of trouble your sassy mouth could have gotten you into," Edward said with a short, humorless laugh just before he hung up the phone. Adam squeezed me tighter and I felt his lips against my hair.

"Since you survived, I'll agree with you, too," Adam said after several moments silence, his tone accepting. I relaxed further, knowing he had worked off most of his anger on Jane and through his conversation with Edward and Jasper.

"I'm not sorry I did it, but I am sorry I worried you," I said gently, reaching one hand up into his hair, sliding my now perfectly healed fingers over his scalp in a gesture I knew he found soothing.

"I would have stopped you, if I'd known what you were going to do. I mean, you said you might try it, but if I'd known exactly when, I might have tried to stop you and...well, the child probably would have died. So, I'm glad you didn't have a chance to warn me," he said gruffly and I leaned up to kiss his jaw.

"I just hope my actions haven't started a war," I said, letting some of my fear show in my tone.

"If you hadn't rescued the child at that moment, Jake would have attacked Jane when he phased anyway. It was in his mind to attack them and try to save the girl, no matter the consequences. He would have been forced to deny them access to the rez and they would have killed her to make a point and that would have started a fight, too. At least this way, every one left alive, if not completely intact. Loved the Humpty Dumpty comment, by the way," Adam said wryly.

"Too bad this doesn't end like the nursery rhyme. Humpty Dumpty will live to terrorize again," I said darkly. "At least we'll have time to plan a counter attack if all the King's men decide to retaliate."

"We might have to evacuate the tribe," Adam said with a sigh.

"Better they lose their homes than their lives. I just hope they aren't too stubborn to move if needs be," I said with a grimace. "Its a good thing Charlie knows about you now. It will be easier to explain a mass exodus to him."

"True. Speaking of, we'll have to go pay him a visit while we're here, since we're allowed in Forks again. He'll be estatic to see us," Adam said, trying to find a silver lining, as always. I managed a smile.

"I'd like that."

Ten minutes later, we walked up to Sam and Emily's home. We had detoured briefly by the Community Center, only to realize the pack wasn't there. It was almost surreal to see the younger children goofing off while the older members of the tribe discussed trivial things. It was obvious that a pack of giant wolves hadn't come through with a dirty, crying child. So Adam let me down long enough to phase and find out where we needed to be. Then he scooped me up again, claiming it was easier since I'd never seen the route to Sam's house. I didn't argue with him, because honestly my ankle was still a little achy. It was taking longer to heal than my fingers without the help of venom and I wasn't about to draw Adam's attention to it. Instead I called dad and let him know of the change of venue. He was going to wait at the border for an escort onto the rez. Seth had already been dispatched to get him.

"You and I are going to have a talk about your inability to keep yourself out of trouble, my girl," Carlisle said with wry amusement. I could hear the hint of weariness in his voice. I wrinkled my nose and Adam kissed it. I drew strength from his touch and smiled.

"I only get into trouble when someone else needs rescuing. At least I have noble intentions," I told him cheekily and was relieved to hear a chuckle from him. I then heard Seth's howl through the phone and dad let me go to greet his escort. Adam put me on my feet as we neared the house and from what I could hear, the child was with Sarah and Emily. They were talking softly to her about the Quileutte tribe and the wolves over the sound of running water and splashing.

"They're giving her a bath, I think," I told Adam. He nodded and led me onto the porch and through the front door. I managed not to limp. The front room was overcrowded with several of the pack draped across various surfaces with food in their hands. Adam and I stayed near the front door, but through Adam's eyes I saw the relieved faces of nearly everyone.

"Good to see you in one piece, Leia. Good as new, yeah?" Jake asked from his perch on a bar stool with what I thought might be a turkey leg in his hand. I nodded and wiggled my fingers at him. They were intact and good as new except for the angry looking scars around the last three fingers. They would fade to pearly gray a few hours.

"A little crazy glue and I'm all better," I said cheerfully.

"You know that's seriously freaky, right? I mean, yeah. So, um...how long will it take the brute to put the little blond back together?" This from Paul, usually the worst of the lot when it came to aggression against my family. I was surprised and relieved that he seemed to not have a problem with me anymore. I would ask Adam about his change of attitude later.

"Yeah, will she have brain damage or something? Her head was rolling around on the ground!" Colin chimed in, his eyes wide with disbelief. I gave the youngest pack member a dark smile.

"We could only be so lucky, Colin, but she'll likely be good as new for a red-eye flight back to Italy tonight."

"Red-eye. Fitting," Jake said with a snort before biting into a hamburger. I grinned and let Adam curl his arms around me, pulling me close.

"How's the girl?" I asked when there was a lull due to food being shoveled into mouths at an alarming rate. Adam could inhale food just as fast, but he was so neat about it you'd wonder if it had ever been there to begin with. Probably out of respect for Esme, thank goodness. Evidently that wasn't true of all the pack, because they were making a mess. I hoped Emily made them clean up after themselves.

"Emily and Sarah are getting her cleaned up. Em said she just has some little scratches and a few bruises, but if she'll let the doc near her, we'd rather be sure she's physically okay," Sam answered from across the room. I nodded.

"I'd love to see her, myself, but I'm afraid she'll associate me with them," I said with a sad sigh. Jake shook his head and swallowed.

"Nah. She was asking for you earlier. Seems to think you're an angel or something, since you saved her from the duo from Hell," Jake said with a wicked grin. I raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"I'm surprised she was aware enough to know what was going on," I said, my surprise evident in my tone. Adam nuzzled the skin behind my ear and murmured an explanation.

"She was watching through Embry's legs. Well, she was alternating between watching and covering her eyes. Don't let Jake fool you, though. You might be her angel, but he's definitely her knight in rusty armor."

"Well, after what's she's been through she deserves someone to treat her special. I just don't know how we'll handle the logistics. Somebody somewhere is gonna miss her family and her picture'll be plastered across the Olympic Penisula. I hate keeping her locked up on the rez, but it's better than the alternative," Jake said seriously. I nodded with a sigh.

"We have someone that can get papers for her once everything's decided, but yes. You'll have to keep her here until we know what the Volturi are planning to do," I said with a grimace. There was a silence after that, as the seriousness of the situation began to sink into everyone's mind. Adam tightened his grip on me and we all listened to the quiet splashing and gentle words coming from the bathroom down the hall. I had been listening to them since we arrived, but the girl hadn't responded verbally to anything she was asked. Sarah and Emily hadn't asked her much, though, beyond her name and where she was from.

"Leia?" Sarah's quiet call was the only thing that could have pulled me away from Adam at that moment. I darted into the hallway and stood outside the bathroom door.

"Yes?" I asked quietly. There was a soft cry from beyond the door and through Sarah's eyes, I watched the girl's head come up from staring at the washcloth running over feet. There was a hesitant, almost hopeful expression on her face. Sarah opened the door just a crack and put one hand on my arm, tugging gently.

"Come in and introduce yourself," she told me, an almost desperate tone in her voice. She glanced at Emily and the other woman flicked her eyes at the child and then at me and back again. The room was tiny, almost too small for one person, let alone three women and a small child. The little one was sitting in a tub of water about three inches deep, her tiny body damp and clean now, though the water had gone dingy from the effort. Her hair would be dark blonde or light brown when it dried. Even wet it curled in short ringlets all over her head. Her eyes were blue and she was slender but not frail. I could see the darkening bruises on her waist, ribs and one small wrist. The smell of blood was bearable despite the close space and the moist air. Most of her scratches were either too shallow to bleed or had bled very little.

"Hello, little one. My name is Leia Cullen," I said softly, not moving away from the door. Not that the three feet of space between me and the tub was much of a buffer, but I didn't want to scare her. Angel or no, I still held enough similarities to the monsters that had killed her parents to make things scary for her.

"M'name's Molly," the girl said, her voice soft and hoarse. I smiled without teeth and nodded, being sure to look as directly at her as I could. I heard Seth come in with Dad and kept tabs on the conversation in the living room, but my focus was on Molly.

"I'm glad to meet you, Molly. I'm very sorry for all the scary things that happened today," I told her as gently as I could. The girl shivered then and fat, salty tears slid down her cheeks. Emily leaned in to dry them and then lifted the girl from the tub and into the towel Sarah was holding out. Sarah sat the girl in her lap and began to rub her dry. The girl's eyes never left me and they wandered, as if taking everything about me in.

"The mean man bit your neck," the girl said, a question in her tone. Her little fingers went to her neck over her carotid artery and I mirrored the action, tracing my newest scar. I nodded slightly. "But you didn't die."

"He only bit me a little. It didn't even hurt much," I said with another smile. The girl's expression was a mixture of confused and hopeful.

"Does that mean mama and daddy are not dead, too?" she asked. My unbeating heart broke and I fought back the urge to sob. I took a shallow breath and shook my head.

"No, little one. I'm afraid they are...dead. My body is made different from your mama and daddy, so the mean people can't hurt me like they did them. I wish I could bring them back for you, though," I said, unable to keep my voice from breaking on the word 'dead'. I knew better than to lie to the child. I heard Sarah's breath hitch and Emily was crying, her face turned away from the girl. I reached out a finger and very gently ran it along Molly's fragile arm. She reached out and grabbed my hand in both of her own. The feel of my hard, cool skin made her tense and she looked directly at my sunglasses covered eyes.

"Can I see your eyes?" She asked with a tremor of fear in her voice. I nodded and reached up to take off the mirrored shades. Almost immediately, her body relaxed.

"Yellow," she stated, relief obvious in her tone. Then she reached up and touched my face, her head cocked curiously. The warmth of her small fingers was nothing compared to Lizzy's hot hands, but it warmed me nonetheless. "Whasamatter with your eyes? They look funny, I mean not cuz their yellow."

"I'm blind, Molly," I told her truthfully, thinking she must have picked up on the fact that my eyes didn't focus or move like normal human eyes did. Like normal vampire eyes did most of the time, actually. Her mouth formed an 'O' of surprise.

"You can't see? Really? I'm sorry," the girl said sincerely and I smiled for her again.

"My eyes don't work, but that doesn't mean I can't see, little one," I told her truthfully. I reached out and touched the tip of her nose and she went crossed eyed trying to see it. It was a silly thing to do, but I would do anything to distract her from her grief and fear.

"Like a superpower?" she asked after a moment of thoughtful silence.

"Hmm...I suppose it is a little like a superpower. I can see through the eyes of others, sometimes. It helps me get around," I told her. She already knew about vampires and shapeshifting wolves, so I didn't see any harm in telling her one of my other secrets.

"Are you an alien?" The little girl asked then, in a slightly louder, matter-of-fact tone. I was a little startled by her directness, enough so that I giggled. I heard several of the wolves chuckle in the next room. They were obviously listening in.

"No, little Molly. I was just as human as you once, soft and warm. But I had an accident and to save me, my dad made me like this. Like him. You'll get to meet him very soon. He's a doctor and he needs to make sure you'll be okay," I told her, figuring this was as good a way to explain why she would be meeting yet another vampire soon.

"Does he have yellow eyes too? Is he blind? Will he feel all hard, too?" She asked, eyes wide with apprehension.

"Yes, his eyes are yellow like mine, but he's not blind. His skin is just as hard as mine too, but his touch is gentle. Just between you and me, I've always thought he was the closest thing to an angel I've ever met. My angel doctor," I told her with conspiratory grin and a wink. I watched the apprehension leave her eyes and leaned in very carefully to kiss her nose. "Now, get dressed and I'll introduce you to Doctor Carlisle."

"Well done, my girl, but really. An angel? You'll get her expectations up to high," I heard Carlisle say with a laugh from the living room. I snorted softly as the other women began dressing the girl in clothes that was only a touch too large. I wondered idly where they'd gotten them and began planning a shopping trip to buy the child a new wardrobe. Our plane didn't leave SecTac until mid-afternoon tomorrow.

"Trust me, I'm not worried. Oh, Emily, can we borrow a bedroom?" I asked after responding to my father in a brief aside. By now the girl was decked out in an over-sized gray t-shirt and a pair of denim shorts. It was a far cry from her frilly dress and patent leather shoes but she looked comfortable enough. Emily nodded and I opened the door. As Emily and Sarah led the girl further down the hall, I took two leaping bounds into the living room and into my father's arms. He caught me, of course, and held me tight.

"I've decided you're never getting on an airplane again. You always manage to land in trouble whenever you fly," he told me, trying to sound stern. I sighed.

"If you think that'll cure my penchant for getting into trouble, I'll willing to try it. Then again, Jazz is teaching me to fly. Do you think it's the same if I fly myself?" I asked him, only half teasing. Adam looked up from where he'd joined in the mini-feast and I saw him roll his eyes and grin over a bowl of something reddish brown and pasty. Chili, maybe. Carlisle chuckled and then led me down the hall towards the bedroom. The conversation he'd had with the pack was obviously put on hold until he could examine the child.

"Maybe not, but only if Jasper is flying with you. Otherwise, all bets are off," he said wryly. I giggled and then pushed into the room where the girl was sitting on the bed. I made quick introductions and the girl seemed to have no problem letting dad check her out. As he gently prodded Molly's abdomen, he spoke to me in vampire only tone.

"Call your mother. She's frantic."

As I pulled out my phone to call Esme, I heard Paul's incredulous question from down the hall.

"Wait, wait, how do you teach a blind vampire how to fly a plane?"


	18. Chapter 18

"_Auntie Leia_!"

The sweet, lilting voice that greeted me when I answered the phone shocked me into a near panic. Adam, who had been lounging beside me on the couch in his father's living room watching TV, was immediately alert and clutching me around the shoulders as if to steady me. Or maybe himself.

"She's talking," Adam whispered incredulously. I quickly shook off my amazement and managed to respond to my goddaughter with joy despite the unsettling dread that curled in my belly. She was only two weeks old!

"Lizzy-love, is that you? Talking already?" I said, wishing I was there so I could hold her against me.

"_I have to talk, Aunt Leia. I can't show you my pictures because you aren't here_," her voice was perfect. No hesitation, no limited vocabulary. Evidently the only thing holding her back before was her ability to tell us what she was thinking without words. It made me wonder how much earlier she would have spoken if properly motivated.

"Of course you do. Silly of me. Now, tell me what you, momma and daddy are up to," I said. And Adam and I listened in awe as she spoke of reading books, climbing trees, playing the piano and exploding milk (that one involved Emmett somehow). As her excited narrative came to a close, her last words struck me to the heart.

"_I miss you and Uncle Adam. When are you coming home_?" she asked and I could hear the longing in her soft voice. We had only been gone four days and planned to stay at least another three. Adam was reconnecting with his friends and family while I helped Sarah and Emily care for little Molly. That and being a real ambassador for the Cullen family. Dad and the others hadn't stayed more than a day, Dad stating that the Quileutes were closer to trusting me than any of the family and it was for the best. To be honest, I had noticed that the boys in the pack were almost relaxed around me but they were warily respectful around Dad. Then again, the pack shared thoughts so they had all of Adam's memories of me to ease the relationship.

And, if Adam was to be believed, my near kamikaze attempt to save the human child from Felix and Jane had not only reassured them that I treasured human life, but it had gained me a measure of respect. It was a good thing, too, because Jacob and David Talldeer had both demanded I be allowed to sit with the elders at counsel while discussing the tribes options if the Volturi decided to retaliate.

"Soon, Lizzy-bug. We'll visit with my dad and Sarah for two more days and then we'll come home on Saturday. We'll bring pictures and tell you all about our vacation when we get back," Adam told her, the phone by now on speaker so we could both talk to the child.

"_When can I meet Sarah? And the girl you rescued from the mean vam...um...people? Momma said her name is Molly and she lost her parents and needs love and support_," Lizzy said. I was shocked when she caught herself before saying the word 'vampire' over the phone. Did she already understand the need to be extra careful with her words when they might be intercepted, far fetched as it was, by someone hijacking the phone line.

"Someday soon, I hope," Adam said, a wistful tone in his voice. He wasn't willing to promise anything just yet. There were too many unknown variables involved. I squeezed his hand reassuringly and took over the conversation, telling Lizzy all about Molly. Bella, who was the one that had suggested Lizzy call us, started asking questions about the little girl too. Too soon, in my opinion, our conversation wound down and Bella announced bathtime for Lizzy. After heartfelt goodbyes, the call was disconnected and Adam and I clung to each other.

"Just to hear her talk, you'd think she was a preschooler," Adam said, strain obvious in his voice.

"She's growing up so fast," I said softly. And I wasn't talking just physically. Edward had mentioned how sharp her mind was, and from the clarity of her 'pictures' we should have expected it, but it was still shocking. It seemed her brain was more vampire than human, though we'd yet to really test her limitations. Our only real fear was her unknown lifespan. Carlisle and Edward were sure her growth rate was slowing down, if only by a small amount. It was painful to be so far away, knowing I was missing milestones. I wouldn't be surprised if she was walking by Saturday.

"Let's not wait until Friday, Leia. Let's go home tomorrow. Now that I know I'm welcome here, I can come back whenever I want, but I don't want to miss Lizzy growing up," Adam said suddenly. I leaned up and kissed him, relieved that he felt the same way about the situation. He pulled away to go let his dad know our plans while I called the airline. I grinned happily, knowing that with Adam by my side, we'd get to surprise the family when we came home two days early. When I was done changing our flight plans, I called Sarah. We had some shopping to do for Molly before Adam and I left.

Next day

"Auntie Leia! Uncle Adam!" Lizzy's happy squeal of delight was so reminiscent of Alice I was sure she'd learned it from her other aunt. I reminded myself that children, even half vampire ones, learned by example. I turned my brightest smile towards the front door where Edward was standing with Lizzy in his arms. Alice had emailed me a new picture of her just this morning, or I might have been stunned by how different she looked. She had grown almost two inches in five days and her features were more refined.

"Surprise, munchkin! We missed you so much we came home early," Adam said as he put his arm around my shoulders and walked us towards the door.

'_Yes, surprise, Edward. We wanted to get home before she decided to start walking, too_,' I thought at Edward, letting him see my memory of Lizzy's phone call the day before and our reaction to it. When Adam saw Edward's happy expression change to vaguely apologetic, I barely resisted the urge to weep.

'_Act surprised, or she'll be devastated_,' Edward signed at me just before he leaned down to put Lizzy on the stone steps leading up to the front door. Adam came to a stop as she walked towards us, a huge grin on her face. No faltering toddler steps these, but a smooth, easy gait of someone who had mastered walking years ago instead of only days, or perhaps even hours, ago.

"Surprise! I can walk now, so daddy says I can go hunting with him and momma tomorrow!" Lizzy said as she leapt from the walk five feet in front of us and landed in my arms. I was glad for my vampire reflexes as my arms wrapped protectively around my goddaughter and I buried my face in her curls so she wouldn't see the pained expression on my face. Luckily, Adam gushed over Lizzy's accomplishment as we moved forward and into the house. I could tell by the way he tightened his arm around me that he was just as emotional as I was, though. I felt Edward's hand on my shoulder as we moved into the living room and I finally managed to pull together a brilliant smile for Lizzy as I pulled away so she could see my face.

'_What else did we miss? Is she reading, too? Playing the piano? What was her first word?_' I asked Edward frantically in my thoughts as I joined Adam in praising Lizzy. He didn't have to tell me, because a few seconds later Lizzy's hand was on my cheek and she was filling me in on the days we'd missed. I was surprised and overjoyed to see that her first words were '_Momma, when are Auntie Lei and Adam coming home?'_I decided then and there that until Lizzy stopped changing so drastically from day to day, I wasn't leaving for longer than it took me to hunt or to go shopping in Fairbanks to replace the clothes she grew out of so quickly.

Two hours later, the whole family was gathered at the dining room table to discuss the last few days in detail. Lizzy was helping Adam in the kitchen, making some gooey pasta dish that he swore would tempt her appetite. She didn't like human food as much as blood and without Adam here to encourage her and make it a fun, interactive experience, she tended to turn up her nose at whatever Esme, Bella or Edward made for her.

Even Emmett was wary after his first and last attempt to help the 'Feed Lizzy Human Food' campaign. Suffice it to say, it had ended up being more 'Help Uncle Emmett Clean the Kitchen' after he'd attempted to show her how to blow bubbles in her milk with a straw. That explained the 'exploding milk' episode Lizzy had told us about on the phone earlier this week. I could still smell the faint odor of souring milk, so I knew they'd missed a droplet or two. I would hunt down the offending spots later tonight after we called Jacob to talk over what we decided during our family meeting.

Alice had seen three possible futures once Aro had learned of the confrontation in the forest. One, at the prodding of Caius, was swift and immediate retaliation on the Quileutes with half the guard and a letter to Carlisle demanding an audience with our entire coven. Another possibility was a letter to Carlisle requesting his presence along with Edward, Bella, Alice and myself, plus three of the wolf pack for a summit in Italy. The third possible scenario was the worst, most definitely the least likely according to Alice, that brought a large Volturi force to Alaska, the number of which varied from vision to vision but always with Jane and Alec in the lead. The second option was impossible for her to get any read on because of the wolves being with us in Italy. The first and last possibilities caused Alice to get a multitude of hazy, horrible visions of the aftermath, most of which she refused to discuss.

"Why don't we just move back to Forks until this mess is over? It cuts out the third option entirely and it gets the Denali's out of the line of fire," Adam suggested as he supervised Lizzy while she stirred cheese into a pot of noodles.

"I'm not ready for that yet," Bella said quietly, ducking her head in shame. Edward drew her into his arms and smiled.

"Maybe not now, but Alice is certain you'll be ready to see Charlie by Thanksgiving. That's only five weeks away. None of the possible futures happen prior to the first major snowfall in Forks, which isn't until mid December. Alice?" He glanced over our sister to see her face screwed up in a painful expression. Then it cleared and she focused back on the present. She smiled in the direction of the kitchen.

"Thanks, but really, stop deciding to elope with my sister!" she said with a playful roll of her eyes. Then she turned somber. "I was able to see and yes, it does cut out the last scenario...but it changes the first. I see us meeting them in the same clearing where we killed the newborns. A huge confrontation with the entire Volturi guard. It was just a flash of possibility, but it was there. The entire guard, including Aro, Caius and Marcus and the wives."

"What? Why? That's impossible," Jasper said, radiating fear and disbelief before he cut them off. I shrank back in my chair and Esme curled her arm around me. I laid my hand on her knee and she began tracing the nearly invisible scars on my fingers. I heard her sigh, but after our conversation three days ago, I knew she had come to terms with what had happened. She had asked me to try not to be so reckless, but never once had it turned into a scolding session.

It was during that conversation with Esme, and during the serious talks with Carlisle that followed, I realized that my 'parents' no longer treated me like a child. Despite the fact that I now had a mate of my own and had been making decisions for myself over the last two years, I hadn't really noticed the change in our relationship. That in and of itself was amazing, since change was supposed to be such a shattering experience for a vampire. I suppose there had been so much of it in my life since coming to Forks, that this one little shift had managed to sneak by me sometime over the last few months. I knew I would always be the baby of the family, but I wasn't a junior member of the Cullen clan any more. I was a grown up. Scary stuff, that.

"I agree with Jasper. That should be impossible. As far as I know, they've never left the safety of Volterra," Carlisle said. I could hear the fear mingled with the confusion in his tone. Alice grimaced.

"Something else has changed and I think its linked to that possibility. Irina has decided to come home," she said softly. Esme gasped and I heard Rose curse. Rose had counted Irina a good friend, at least as good a friend as my rather aloof sister could claim. But when Irina's attitude had caused the Denali's to refuse aid to our family last spring, their relationship had turned cold. If Rose had one shining virtue, it was her loyalty to her family, and in her eyes, Irina had betrayed us not once, but twice. Up until she had gone to Volterra, the rest of the Denali's had been busy making excuses for her, trying to ease Irina's way back into the fold when she decided to come home. But now, they were just as surprised and hurt as the rest of us.

"Can we trust her, Edward? What if she tells the Volturi about Lizzy?" Bella looked up at Edward with panic in her eyes. He reached down to stroke her hair in a soothing manner, but his own eyes were troubled. I had never gotten along with Irina, but I had trusted that she would never turn her back on Carlisle. But she had refused to listen when we had tried to reason with her about Laurent's death. Instead, she let her need for vengeance make her bitter and hateful. Who knew what she would do presented with Edward and Bella's child?

"Regardless of Irina's choices, I don't think we can keep Elizabeth a secret forever," Carlisle said, regret heavy in his voice. Edward's expression hardened and Carlisle sighed. "We cannot avoid Aro forever, son. Not all of us. Eventually he will find out."

"That is not an option right now. Not until we have more answers about Lizzy's nature," Alice said from the corner, her voice shrill with fear. I knew then that some of those futures she wouldn't discuss involved Lizzy in some way. She couldn't see Lizzy per say, but she could see the decisions others made around and in regards to her. And I might be the youngest vampire here, but I smart enough to understand the implications.

"Then we need to move up our plans to visit Brazil. If there are others like Lizzy out there, we need to find them. As fascinating as Aro might find the idea of a half vampire child, she's an unknown. They would want proof that she wasn't a threat to vampires as a whole or to them as a coven," I said quietly and felt Esme's arm tighten around me.

"And if we can't prove it, the easiest thing to do is destroy..." Emmett started but trailed off when Edward hissed at him and Bella moaned. I wasn't surprised to hear to crash of Rose's hand against the back of his head. Luckily, Adam was keeping Lizzy well entertained on the other side of the wall. Her hearing was as good as his was and her mind was able to process more than one train of thought, but she didn't seem to be paying us much attention.

"As harsh as it sounds, Leia and Emmett are right. It's the way they've stayed in control for so long, by destroying anyone or anything that was, is or could be a threat to our way of life or their ability to stay in power," Jasper said grimly.

And so, it was decided that Alice, Jasper, Carmen and Eleazar would move forward their plans to go to South America. They would fly into Rio tomorrow and use a helicopter to get into the heart of the Amazon. Once there they would look for the coven that lived there, three women that Carlisle and the Denali's counted as friends despite the fact that they weren't vegetarian vampires. After some of Carlisle's stories, I almost wished I was going along to meet the nomadic trio, but I wouldn't leave Lizzy and Bella. I'd missed enough of Lizzy's development as it was, and I was determined to help Bella with the challenges she was facing. I didn't just mean human resistance training. Bella was determined to try and gain more control over her gift.

Once the subject of Lizzy was, to the slightest extent, exhausted back in September, Eleazar had been excited to announce that Bella was a shield. Since that time, Kate, Eleazar and Edward had been working with Bella on and off to see if she could extend her gift to shield others. Bella was determined to succeed, seeing it as her chance to be the protector instead of the protected for once. I was willing to help her as well, so the next evening found me standing in the back yard with Bella and Kate.

Edward was inside the house, sitting at the piano with Lizzy in his lap. He was playing Bella's Lullaby for her and she was watching his hands with avid interest. It wasn't practical for her to play just yet, with her tiny hands, but both she and Edward loved their 'lessons' together'. So, he was taking a break from being Bella's motivation during shield practice. It was my turn to endure Kate's special brand of electroshock therapy while Bella tried to push her shield out to cover me.

"Okay, go," I said from the loose embrace of Bella's arms. I didn't need eyes to know when Kate approached. I could, of course, hear her soft steps and the shift of cloth and air around her body. But more than that, I could actually feel the light charge in the air even before she put her hand on my shoulder. I twitched when I felt the shock, a low jolt through my body. It wasn't terribly painful, really. Just unsettling.

"Okay, that's not so bad," I said, relaxing a bit. I heard a snort from inside, but Edward refrained from verbal comment. I knew, however, he was telling me I'd gotten off easy.

"I'll increase the strength of it each time," Kate said, confirming Edward's warning. Bella sighed and I put a hand on her face to read her expression. Her features were tight, her eyes shut and her jaw clenched. This time, I was actually startled when Kate touched me because the charge I'd sensed before wasn't there this time. I grinned and patted Bella's face.

"Nothing that time," I said happily. I knew she'd had some small success with Edward, though it was sporadic. Once in every six or seven shocks she managed to shield him and occasionally she managed a partial block. To have her succeed on the second try was promising. At least I thought so until Kate hit me ten more times with increasingly more powerful shocks and no success on Bella's part. The tenth was the worst and I was momentarily stunned witless. If I hadn't been in Bella's arms, I would have hit the ground when I lost control of my body.

"Kate, stop. You never hit Edward that hard," I heard Bella growl as I slowly regained my footing. Only to lose it again when Kate hit me a second time with what I thought must be her gift on 'high'. As I came to my senses that time, I heard Bella snarl and move us backwards.

"Kate, that's enough," I heard Edward's low, threatening tone. He hadn't moved from the piano bench, though.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," I gasped softly, glad that Adam was in town with Carlisle and Esme. I was honestly not fine, as each time my body collapsed, I had a flashback to the days after Italy when I had so little control over my own body. Damn perfect vampire memory. But this was important to Bella and I knew, when I felt Kate touch me again despite the warnings and I didn't feel a thing, that if this was what it took to motivate Bella into pushing her limits, I would endure it. "Nothing that time. See? It's working."

"Again, then," Kate said smugly over Bella's low growling. She had backed up against the side of the house and Kate had her hand on my shoulder. I don't know how many times she tried to hit me before another one got through, but Bella lasted almost five minutes before I lost control of my body again. I came around this time to find myself laying on the ground. Lizzy was patting my face urgently, calling my name and I heard Edward and Kate arguing on the other side of the yard. Bella had hold of my hand.

"Somebody get a license plate off the truck that ran me over," I tried to joke. I saw a picture of myself on the ground and knew it was Lizzy projecting.

"That wasn't a truck, Auntie Lei. That was Kate. Daddy's mad at her, I think," Lizzy told me in a whisper. I heard Bella sigh above us and listened in on Edward and Kate. Or Edward, since he was picking Kate's answers out of her head.

"That's no reason not to modulate the setting once you'd gotten Bella riled up. Yes, I know. You could have tried that when I was helping. Oh," Edward's voice trailed off. He sounded surprised.

'_Let me guess, she did try that with you and didn't get the same reaction? Perfect. I'm a vampire with a low pain threshold_,' I thought at Edward. '_Really, I'm fine. And did you see Bella? A whole five minutes!'  
><em>  
>"Five whole minutes, Bella!" I managed a smile, repeating my thoughts aloud for my best friend. Bella's hand tightened on mine.<p>

"Well, I guess Kate's right. I just need the right motivation. I think I'm starting to get a hold on it, now. Anger helps me focus," Bella said, her reply positive despite the wry edge to it.

"Bad memories, Kate. Yes, even for Bella. I'm sorry I yelled at you, but please, tone it down a little, for all our sakes," Edward was saying to Kate, no doubt referring to Italy. I grimaced and picked myself up off the ground, determined to show everyone I was fine. To that end, I couldn't help but grin when Lizzy started helping Bella dust off my clothes, her tiny hands beating on the back my knees more than brushing. Edward came over once they'd deemed me 'clean enough' and pulled me into a hug.

"Alright?" he asked against my hair. I nodded and he tightened his hold enough to let me know he was aware I was lying. He didn't push the issue though and I was grateful.

"That's enough shock therapy for today, though, I think. Bella can try to shield my thoughts from Edward instead," I said cheerily, turning my head to give Kate a smile. She snorted softly.

"I thought the point was to motivate Bella into action," Kate said.

"What better motivation that threatening to tell Edward about the list Adam found in the drawer of the hall bathroom vanity?" I said with a chuckle.

"You wouldn't dare!" Bella sounded horrified. I gave Kate another smile, smug this time, when Edward announced that he couldn't hear a thing from me. I laughed and looped my arm through Bella's as I pulled her into the house.

"Whipped cream? What do you need whipped cream for, Bella. Are you baking for Lizzy?" Edward asked curiously after I deliberately thought about the fourth item on Bella's list. Bella tensed beside me and I laughed when Edward sighed and announced I was silent to him again. Then he picked Lizzy up and followed us into the house after tossing his daughter into the air. The sound of the girl's happy laughter chased thoughts of darker times into the back of my mind.

The next morning, Bella and Edward took Lizzy out hunting. They had postponed the trip so they could see off Alice and crew the day before. Rose and Emmett had disappeared somewhere the night before and had yet to return and Carlisle and Esme were in the garage installing a hardwood floor in the new studio. Installing the floor wouldn't normally take too long, but they were...enjoying their time together. Esme's low laughter and Carlisle's occasional quietly moaned 'Esme' were impossible to tune out but years of practice made it easy to ignore. That left Adam and I 'alone' in the house for the first time since we'd moved to Alaska.

Adam POV

_What is there to be nervous about, Talldeer? You've already discussed this millions of times_. I thought that to myself as I looked down at the necklace Esme had commissioned for me two months ago. Honestly, this necklace and the box it rested in meant more to me than the simple green turquoise and diamond ring in my pocket did. Carlisle had helped me pay for the necklace, despite my protests to the contrary. He'd insisted that I consider it a dowery for his youngest daughter and I really couldn't find it in my heart to argue after that. I knew how much he loved Leia and it was his way of giving his blessing to our relationship.

The chain was made up of overlaid platinum shells, tiny ones. At the apex of the chain, each of three settings held a small round turquoise. Delicate strands of even tinier shells, seed pearls and three mother of pearl inlaid charms hung from each setting. One charm was a wolf, one was my family's deer totem and the third was the Cullen coat of arms.

It was a tradition passed down in my family for the man to give the woman he chose to marry a betrothal necklace instead of the white man's traditional diamond engagement ring. My father said it was usually made of shells because our people had always used such things as decoration, being a coastal tribe and all. I had designed this necklace several months ago and a matching bracelet, handmade by me from natural shells and beads, rested in the box with the necklace. I grinned slightly, knowing Leia would probably appreciate the bracelet more than the necklace, but I had wanted to give her something that might last through what I hoped was our centuries of life together.

I sighed, closing the box and resting it on the bedside table before taking the ring box out of my pocket. I had thought to do this in a more romantic setting, but the traditional dinner proposal was out. I didn't think she'd appreciate me dropping the ring in a wine glass full of elk blood. I had planned to do it on First Beach this weekend, but we had both wanted to see Lizzy so badly I'd nixed that plan. And so I had decided to just kick the rest of the family out of the house and do it now. Since we wanted to plan something soon, I didn't want to wait any longer for the 'perfect moment'. So I slipped it on the tip of my pinky finger before I called for the love of my life.

"Lei-love? Can you come up here for a minute?" I asked in a normal tone. No need to raise my voice when she could hear me talking two miles away. The next moment, she was standing in front of me, my heightened senses having missed the sound of her darting up the stairs. Actually, I think she might have jumped from the ground floor straight up to the second landing. I reached out and took her hands in mine, lacing our fingers together and pulling her close. I saw her pretty lips turn down into a frown just before she pressed her cheek against my chest.

"What's wrong, Adam? Your heart's beating double time," she said, concern obvious in her soft voice. Then I felt her smallest finger stroke across the cool band around mine. Her breath caught and I backed us up until my legs hit the bed. I sat down and pulled her between my knees, her face tilted down just a bit. Even sitting I was almost as tall as she was. One of her hands, the one not holding the one I had the ring on, came up to cup my face. I let my mouth curve into a smile. Then I pulled our hands up in front of us and twisted them so I was looking at the half inch oval of pale green turquoise surrounded by a ring of tiny diamond chips. I knew she was looking through my eyes when her grip tightened almost painfully and her hand fluttered against my face.

"Leia Rhianna Cullen, my best friend, my beloved, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife," I said, turning my face so I could kiss the palm of her hand. My gaze went back to her face and she wore a smile so beautiful it took my breath away. Literally.

"It has been my greatest desire, though I might not have admitted it to myself, since that day in the dance studio when I first saw you dance," she said in an almost whisper. I drew her in and kissed her soundly. She responded enthusiastically, the sweet taste of her like a drug on my lips. I finally had to pull away to breathe and she settled on my knee, nuzzling against my neck. Her cool breath washed over my skin, making my entire body tingle.

"I fell in love with you at the dance studio, too, I think. I mean, I was kinda terrified at the thought that vampires were real, but I realized that no matter what your nature, you were the sum of all my dreams come true. The imprint made little difference in how I saw you," I told her sincerely. I had told her that on more then one occasion, though I think only recently had she begun to believe me.

"I love you, Adam Talldeer. This is a beautiful ring," she said, her voice thick as though she might be close to tears, if she could produce any. I tugged my fingers from hers and gently moved the ring from my finger to her left hand. I kept looking down at it for her as she turned it this way and that, no doubt enjoying the way it gleamed in the morning light coming through the windows. Though in my opinion, the ring had nothing on the radiance of her sparkling skin.

"As I love you. I know a diamond ring is the usual tradition for this kind of thing, but our relationship is not exactly conventional. I wanted do something that would honor both Talldeer and Cullen traditions, so I got that ring because it matched this," I said, moving back on the bed so she could climb into my lap. I grabbed the box with the jewelry I'd designed and placed it in her lap. She settled back against my chest and let her fingers feel over the intricately carved wooden box.

"My father made the box for my mother. He asked me to give it to you so that you would know he is more than okay with our relationship," I murmured against her ear. I heard the hitch in her breath and her fingers stilled for a moment before moving again with more reverence.

"Oh Adam," she said, a sob in her tone obvious this time. I knew how much this would mean to her, more than any of the jewelry. I had cried when my father had given me the box on Thursday. Our talk that morning had been emotional in so many ways. My father had told me how proud he was of me and that despite her nature, he approved of my choice of mates. It had been one of the best moments of my life, right up there with the first time Leia told me she loved me, the day I'd been named Lizzy's godfather, and the day in the near future when Leia would pledge herself to me legally in front of witnesses.

When Leia finally opened the box, her fingers barely brushed the necklace and bracelet inside. I knew she would be worried about destroying them with her strength so I looked down into the box instead of watching her profile. Her delighted gasp was music to my ears. Her fingers traced each link on the necklace then touched briefly on each charm. Then she lifted the bracelet, which had tiny wooden charms carved to match the deer and wolf from the necklace. Dad had passed on to me his love for working with wood and I thought I had a decent talent. I hadn't been sure I could do the Cullen crest justice in such a tiny size, though, so I had simply created a letter 'C'.

"You made this," Leia stated, shaking the bracelet gently. I nodded against her hair and she deftly fastened the bracelet to her wrist one handed. It was loose enough to slip over the bracelet made of my wolf's hair, the one she never took off.

"The jeweler used the bracelet design to create the necklace for you," I told her proudly. She touched the necklace and laughed softly.

"Adam Talldeer, your talents never cease to amaze me. Put this on me?" she asked happily.

"With greatest pleasure," I murmured and lifted the necklace, settling it around her white throat. I kissed her shoulder as she fingered the shells. When she found the Braille message inscribed along the right side of the necklace she spent a moment running the pads of her fingers over it, her lips moving as she read silently.

_**For my beloved. I am eternally yours. -Love, Adam**_

She very gently closed the box in her lap with her other hand and reached out to put it on the bedside table. She turned in my arms so she could touch her lips to mine easily.

"As I am eternally yours," she murmured against my mouth and I felt a surge of joy race through my veins as I crushed my lips against hers. It was several minutes before we broke apart enough for her to speak again.

"I assume we have the house to ourselves for a while?" she asked with a hopeful grin. I nodded against her hand, which was once again on my face.

"It took a little convincing, but everyone has agreed to leave us alone until this evening," I told her, knowing she could hear the desire in my voice. She leaned back and lifted her arms, giving me a seductive smile.

"Well then, would you like to see what your jewelry looks like on me without all this distracting clothing, then?" she asked huskily and I moaned softly, glad that Leia couldn't tell that I'd been thinking about that very thing nearly non-stop since I'd picked up the necklace yesterday. I wasted no time gathering the hem of her blouse in my hands.


	19. Chapter 19

Leia POV

'Human Resistance Training' had gone better than some of us had expected, namely Bella herself. And Emmett. Not that he had bet too much against her success, but he had been sure Bella wouldn't pass the diner test. Edward, Adam and I had taken Bella and Lizzy into Fairbanks to the little diner where I had almost eaten Amy over a decade ago. Both Bella and Lizzy had stayed long enough for Adam to eat two pieces of pie, which Lizzy had tried and declared 'okay'. That was high praise from my goddaughter, who generally just wrinkled her nose and endured when it came to baked goods.

Bella had tried to demure about her success, but her joy over passing the test had quickly overridden her natural modesty. She had picked up Lizzy and danced around the great room for over an hour, delighting her with stories about her 'Grandpa Charlie', who she would be able to meet at Thankgiving. Edward had settled at the piano, playing quiet music for them to dance to as he gazed on his family with a brilliant smile on his face. Adam had known how much the scene meant to me, because he'd watched it for me the whole time without saying a word.

Emmett was still sulking about Bella's ability to control herself. Well, maybe not so much her control as his inability to predict it. Of course Bella had been mortified to learn just how many bets various family members had riding on her first year as a vampire. I had only participated in two, and I had won three months of silence from Emmett on the 'final test' bet. Silence as in no sexual comments or blatant innuendo about Adam and me. It was killing him, but it was making things so much more relaxing around the house. It didn't help that Edward and Bella, along with Lizzy, had finally settled into the cottage. He didn't have them around to tease either. Needless to say, he and Rose had been spending a lot of 'quality' time together lately.

Carlisle and Esme had taken a week's vacation to Isle Esme and would be returning home with Jasper and Alice the day before Thanksgiving. Our hybrid hunting party had been following rumors and Alice's blank spots for almost four weeks with little luck so far. But, they had been convinced to come home for a few days. I knew they desperately wanted to see Lizzy. Not to mention Alice was determined to help organize my wedding, despite the fact that Adam and I had most of the simple ceremony planned out already. I had yet another reason to be grateful for Bella's better than average newborn control. Adam and I wanted to get married in Forks, at Christmas.

When I say home, as of two days ago, I mean Forks. We had just moved back to Washington and would stay until the problems with the Volturi were resolved, or until all of us, Quileute and Cullen alike, were forced to flee for our lives. That was, of course, the very last resort, since it was a futile effort for most of us. Only Bella was completely safe from Demetri's tracking skills. I had heard Edward and Emmett discussing strategies over the phone with Jasper and Carlisle just yesterday. One of them, endorsed whole heartedly by Emmett, was to lure Demetri into a trap. That one had been tabled in hopes that the last resort scenario didn't occur.

"Don't forget the macaroni and cheese," Lizzy chirruped brightly as Edward slipped her brown suede peacoat over her sapphire blue leotard and a pink flouncy skirt. I grinned, still delighted that she'd asked to wear her 'dance outfit like Auntie Leia's' to see Grandpa Charlie for the first time. I knew Alice would have stuffed her into some expensive Thanksgiving themed outfit with patent leather shoes. My fashion sensitive sister was going to be horrified to learn that we hadn't been using her carefully organized two-outfits-a-day clothing schedule. More often than not, we let Lizzy choose what she wanted to wear. She liked comfortable, brightly colored clothing. It had actually taken Bella almost ten minutes to talk her into wearing her ballet slippers. She hated wearing shoes.

"Got it, Lizzy-bug," Adam said, holding aloft the canvas casserole carrier. We were headed over to Charlie's now for dinner. Bella had asked if he wanted her to cook tonight, but Charlie had very quietly said that Sue Clearwater would take care of the meal. Adam had heard through Seth that Sue and Charlie were dating, but it wasn't until we learned that she had insisted on being at the house for 'support' that any of us considered that it might be getting serious. Personally, I thought it was a wonderful development. I hated the thought of Charlie being lonely. Bella was holding her opinion of the relationship until Edward and Jasper had a chance to 'research' the situation with their particular talents.

Sue wasn't the only Quileute joining us for this little pre-Thanksgiving get together. Jacob, Sarah, Seth and David Talldeer would be there as well. Adam insisted they weren't there just to 'protect the humans from the newborn'. Not that Bella cared in the least. She was glad they would be there in case she 'snapped'. Edward had gently told her that if she hadn't 'snapped' with complete strangers, it was unlikely she'd lose control with people she knew and loved. Lizzy was already well aware that humans were not now, nor ever would be on her menu. She admitted freely that humans did smell tempting, but she didn't seem to have any trouble resisting the call.

And so Edward, Bella, Adam and I bundled Lizzy, and the casserole, into the Volvo. As we drove along, Adam pointed out various things to Lizzy, who was buckled into a child's booster seat between us. She might have the personality of a rather mature six year old (not to mention the ability to walk, talk, read, write and rationalize like an adult), but she was still the size of a toddler.

"Oh, is that the school where Mommy and Daddy fell in love?" She asked in excitement when we passed Forks High. Adam watched as Bella and Edward exchanged a glance in the front seat and Bella's hand settled over Edward's on the gear shift.

"I remember the first time I saw you in the school cafeteria. You were the most gorgeous thing I'd ever seen," Bella said with a chuckle. Edward hmmed quietly.

"The first thing I really noticed about you was your eyes. Those beautiful brown eyes," Edward said tenderly, turning his eyes from Bella to look back towards Lizzy. The fingers of Bella's free hand went to her face and she grimaced before turning towards the window. Her eyes were orangey-amber now under the brown contacts she wore. Not bright red, but different enough they might scare Charlie. I knew there were another dozen pairs tucked away in Bella's purse. The venom in our eyes would burn through the flimsy plastic lenses in an hour or so. Thanks to Alice, we were prepared.

"Hey now," Edward said softly, putting his fingers under Bella's chin and turning her head back towards him. "It was the depth in those eyes I found intriguing and I still find it when I look, no matter what color they are."

"Oh, Edward," Bella said, her tone holding both love and a hint of exasperation, like she was certain he was only saying those words because he didn't like to see her distressed. But she obviously appreciated the thought, because she smiled and didn't turn her head away again. Lizzy, sensing that the romantic moment between her parents was over, piped up again.

"Can I go to Forks High School when I get old enough?" Lizzy's innocent question triggered an awkward silence in the car and I sighed, reaching over to pat Lizzy's knee.

"Probably not, little love. We won't be able to come back to Forks for forty or fifty years once we leave for good. Forks High might not even exist in forty years," I told her with a smile. Adam saw Lizzy's expression turn sad and thoughtful. I hated to shoot down any dream of Lizzy's but honestly, we didn't know where we would be in forty years. Honestly, we didn't even know if Lizzy would still be with us in forty years. The thought tore through me like a hot knife and I had to turn my head so Lizzy couldn't see my face as it twisted into a grimace. Adam reached across behind Lizzy's seat and buried his hand in the hair at the nape of my neck, as if he knew what I was thinking about. I watched through Lizzy's eyes as Edward's expression in the rear view mirror turned grim.

'_Sorry, sorry, so sorry_.' I apologized in my thoughts and quickly began thinking of happier things. This was a common occurrence these days, I knew. Everyone in the family was worried about Lizzy's future. But, by the time we reached Charlie's, I was smiling again and Edward had relaxed. I didn't want to ruin our special reunion with Charlie.

Charlie's POV

I was standing by the living room window, watching for their car. Would Edward still be driving the Volvo? Or would it be some other expensive car driving up? I knew the Cullens were loaded. It was one thing I never had to worry about. Bella was well taken care of, in more ways than just financially. It had taken me a long time to accept Edward's presence in her life as permanent, but I was finally to the point where I trusted him with my little girl. Granted, the last few weeks had made me rethink that trust, not just with Edward but the entire Cullen family and my best friend, Billy Black.

I had always known, deep down, that the Cullens were different, but it had never occurred to me that they might be supernatural. Hell, up until a few weeks ago I'd been sure that things like werewolves were just fairy tales. I'd known that several of the older Quileutes still believed in tribal magic and hocus pocus, but I'd just thought it was a lot of nonsense. Not that I'd ever said that to anyone but Billy. I'd always gotten a good laugh when he'd start talking about that stuff when we were out fishing. Seems he was doing his best to warn me. I suppose I couldn't be too mad at him.

As much as I wanted to be mad at the Cullens for their deception, I could read between the lines enough to know that telling me outright that they were...whatever they were...could get me in a lot of hot water. It was the only reason I could forgive the deception, not just by Carlisle and Edward, but by my own daughter. After several weeks to think things over and talking with Jake, Billy and David, it was obvious that if I ever wanted to see my daughter again, it would be best if I took the 'Need to Know' approach. Not that I wouldn't draw some conclusions of my own, but I could keep my mouth shut.

"Are you ready for this?" David Talldeer asked from beside me. He had been a quiet support for me through all this mess. When I'd learned that Adam was a werewolf like Jake, I had been frantic with worry for Leia. Adam and Leia had eased most of my fears and David had talked me out of the rest of them. Like the rest of my Quileute friends, he wasn't giving me straight answers about the Cullens, but he told me that Leia was safe with Adam and I believed him.

"What, seeing Bella and the baby or resisting the urge to shoot Edward on sight?" I said, only half joking. David snorted softly.

"Seeing Bella and little Elizabeth," David asked, trying to hide his amusement. Jake didn't even bother to hide his laughter but he was shaking his head.

"Not like it would do any good, Charlie, but I'd pay money to see that," he said with a loud guffaw. I heard Sarah say something sharp from the kitchen, but I didn't quite catch the words. Obviously Jake did, because he immediately looked chastised. I shared a grin with David. We both knew who wore the pants in that relationship.

"I'm ready to see all of them. Had them hanging around so long I actually got used to them. It's too quiet around here without them," I said gruffly. David clapped me on the shoulder and nodded.

"Yeah," David said, understanding what I meant since both of his had recently moved out as well. For me, it wasn't just Bella. It was Leia and Alice, and even Edward. I'd missed seeing them around. Not that I would admit to missing Edward out loud to anyone. As I was cringing internally at my own train of thought, I saw a late model, gray Mercedes slow down before pulling into the driveway. I drew a deep breath and had to grab the window sill to keep from moving out onto the porch to greet them.

I watched Edward get out of the car and I expected him to move around to open the door for Bella. It was what he'd always done. So I was suprised when he moved to the driver's side passenger door and waited for it to open. I saw long, tanned arms reach out of the back seat and hand a child to my son-in-law - a tiny girl with a head full of curls and dressed like a ballerina complete with tiny pink slippers. This must be Elizabeth, the child that Bella had been so excited for me to meet.

When Bella had mentioned bringing a baby when she came to visit, I had thought she was pregnant. I hadn't even had time to work up a proper rant about responsibility or to ask if that was the reason she had agreed to marry Edward before she started talking about some distant relatives of Edward's having died, leaving him custody of their infant daughter. I had tried to get more information out of them about the child and the reasons why anyone would grant custody to an eighteen year old boy (though the jury was still out on exactly how old Edward was or if he was or had ever been a 'boy'), but Edward had borrowed the phone from my daughter and asked me to hold off asking questions until I'd actually met Lizzy.

One thing my job as a law enforcement officer had taught me was the art of observation. Granted I had failed to use that particular talent to my best ability when it came to the Cullen's up til now (beyond the squeaky clean background check I'd run on them when Edward started dating Bella), but that was a thing of the past. As I watched Edward and Lizzy, I noticed two things. One, he looked at her like I had sometimes seen him look at Bella, like when she had walked towards him at the wedding a few months ago. His expression had been a mixture of awe and love so powerful it had shaken me to my shiny new, Alice-approved dress shoes. And two, their hair was the exact same shade of reddish-blonde.

Then Bella stepped out of the car. I drank in the sight of my daughter, noticing the subtle changes in her appearance. Her skin was a shade paler than it had always been, her features a bit sharper perhaps. The dark circles under her eyes screamed exhaustion, but she moved like liquid grace. Just like the rest of the Cullen's. Yes, there had definitely been some physical changes.

As Bella joined Edward and the child, she slipped her arm around his waist and gave the girl in his arms a loving smile. Adam and Leia fell in behind them and as they moved towards the porch, I got my first good look at the child in Edwards arms. She turned her face towards Bella and then looked straight at my window. In a flash, I was transported back in time over fifteen years to a scene that was seared into my memory. The day Renee had left me, Bella had looked back at me over her mother's shoulder as they walked to the car. Granted my memory wasn't photographic, but the pictures on my mantel helped keep the image of that little girl fresh in my mind. Change the hair and adjust the nose just a bit and Lizzy Cullen would be the spitting image of Bella at age two.

The conclusion my mind wanted to make was simply not possible. I had watched the disappointment on more than one face when Bella had walked down the aisle at her wedding in a slim, form fitted wedding dress. Her flat belly had dashed the hopes of gossip mongers around town. Even if she had been pregnant, she couldn't have been more than a few weeks along. That was only three months ago and this child looked to be at least a year old, possibly closer to two. Of course I wasn't counting the supernatural factor.

"Gonna get the door, Charlie?" Sarah asked from the entrance to the kitchen. I looked away from the porch to see everyone in the room watching me quietly, as if gauging my reaction to my daughter's new family. I realized was my mouth was hanging open just a little. Damned if I wasn't gaping like a fish. I knew a lot was riding on my ability to handle the changes in Bella's life without too much fuss, so I sucked in a breath and nodded, shutting my mouth and heading to the door. I pulled it open and smiled.

"Good to see you, Bells," I said softly as I watched her smile at me. I noticed that her eyes were tight, as if she were in pain, but she leaned in and put her arm around me in an awkward hug.

"You too, Dad. How've you been?" she asked as I moved aside and let them into the house. Adam gave me a solid thump on the shoulder and Leia kissed my cheek on the way by but they moved out of the way quickly, as if leaving me to chat with the little family in front of me. I was still staring at the little girl in Edward's arms and she was staring right back, a bright smile on her face. Her brown eyes, so much like Bella's, so much like mine, were sparkling merrily.

"Hello, Grandpa Charlie!" her sweet voice hit me like a wrecking ball and in a split second I was a grinning fool, totally in love with my...granddaughter? I glanced up and saw Edward's worried expression. As much as I wanted to grill him about this impossible turn of events, I decided that David was right. Stick with need to know questions and just make my own conclusions in private. As I made that decision, I swear I saw Edward's expression relax. He gave me a tight-lipped smile and I looked back at Lizzy.

"Well, hello there, Lizzy Beth. You're a pretty little thing," I told her, watching her smile widen as she glanced up at Edward and then she reached over and touched Bella's cheek with her small hand. I watched a slow smile curve my daughter's lips and she nodded at Lizzy, as if the girl had asked her some question. Lizzy looked back at me, then, not the slightest bit shy.

"Thank you," she said brightly and Edward chuckled softly, glancing over at Bella. I saw parental pride pass between them and that settled it for me. Biological or not, I was now a grandfather. Surprisingly, I wasn't the least bit freaked out by the notion. In fact, I felt blessed to have the opportunity to know my granddaughter. Somehow I had the feeling it had been a close thing. So, I decided to seize the moment.

"You're quite welcome. Now, how about I show you where you can put your coat and then we can go met everybody," I told her and she again glanced at her father and then touched Bella's cheek. I saw Bella's lips quiver and Lizzy grimaced slightly.

"Sorry, mama. Can I go with granpa Charlie?" she asked. Bella nodded with a smile. Edward promptly put her on the floor and she reached out and grabbed my fingers, looking up at me with such a trusting expression it made my heart quiver. So much like Bella at this age. She had to be closer to two than one, since she was talking and obviously walking. I grinned down at her and we walked up the stairs. I tried not to be astonished when she bounced up the steps beside me, almost as graceful as her mother was, or had been, clumsy.

"This was your mother's room when she lived here," I told her as I showed her Bella's old room. It was pretty much exactly like she'd left it, except for a few things she'd packed up to take with her after the wedding. Lizzy laid her little coat on the bed when I told her to and then raced to the window, looking out over the yard. I heard her giggle and then look back towards the door. She giggled again and then looked up at me with wide eyes.

"Is Uncle Adam's sister here? Can I meet Sarah?" she asked suddenly, excited by the prospect. I really shouldn't be surprised that she called Adam an uncle. From what I gathered from David over the last few weeks, Adam and Leia were practically engaged. Renee would be shocked if she knew how many totally committed young couples I had the pleasure of observing of late. Edward and Bella, Adam and Leia, Jake and Sarah, even Sam Uley and his Emily.

I was beyond my fear that they were jumping into their relationships too quickly. Evidently, according to David and Jake, supernatural couples 'mated for life'. I still shuddered when I thought about it. The term 'mate' just sounded so...strange. Almost animalistic. Then again, Jake did turn into a giant wolf. So it made perfect sense. Right? Right. So, moving on to a less dangerous train of thought there, Charlie.

"Of course you can, Lizzy Beth. There are several people downstairs that want to meet you. Let's go say hi," I told her, holding out my hand. She grabbed my fingers again and I blinked in surprise and nearly winced at the strength in her grip. She had been watching my face and must have noticed my expression because she immediately loosed her hand.

"Sorry, Granpa," she said quietly, looking sheepish. I managed a smile for her.

"Not a problem. Let's go," I said, knowing this was one of those 'Need to Know' moments. I didn't need to know why my granddaughter had enough strength in her tiny grip to make a full grown man wince. I had a feeling tonight was going to be a series of 'Need to Know' moments. When I led Lizzy into the kitchen, the women all stopped laying out food on the counter-top. Sue gave me a questioning look, one that I was quickly learning meant she was concerned about my well being. I shook my head and laid a hand on the top of Lizzy's head, glancing down at her with a smile. Sue seemed to relax then and she turned to watch the girl as she launched herself at Sarah. Sarah looked surprised but she caught the girl up and spun around with her. I got the impression it was more to keep the girl's momentum from bowling her over, but she made it look as if she were just giving the girl a spin to make her giggle. Which Lizzy did right before she bombarded the young Quileute with questions.

"Sarah! Uncle Adam has told me sooo much about you. Can I call you Aunt Sarah? Mama said you're looking after little Molly. When can I meet her? Does she like purple? Mama and me bought her a new coat and some mittens and a scarf and Auntie Leia got her some books..." and on and on it went. Sarah looked a little shell shocked and glanced over at the door leading to the living room with wide eyes. Leia stood there with Adam at her back, a smile on her face. She had her head leaned back against Adam's chest, not looking at the girls. It was always a jolt to remember she was legally blind and couldn't see much. She got around so well I rarely even thought about her disability. Which led to another not-so-need-to-know question about supernatural creatures with disabilities. To distract myself from that thought, I glanced at Jacob. He was watching the little girl in his wife's arms with a peculiar expression. Like he couldn't decide whether to be horrified or amused by the situation.

"Whoa, Lizzy-bug. Let Sarah answer a question before you ask her another one," Adam said with a deep chuckle. As Lizzy continued her interrogation, I slipped back out into the living room to find Bella seated on the couch with Edward perched on the arm beside her. David was sitting in the armchair facing them with, talking in a low tone with Bella. Seth was standing beside Edward and it looked like they were having an animated conversation about video games. An amusing one if the look on Edward's face was any clue. I heard him mention his brother, Emmett's, high score at some shoot 'em up game and Seth's eyes got wide. I settled on the couch beside Bella with chuckle and she looked over at me with a half smile.

"Hey dad. You and Lizzy seem to be hitting it off," she said, a happy note in her voice. I nodded and tilted my head towards the kitchen.

"Maybe. She's a lot more excited to see Sarah, I think. I'll say one thing, she definitely didn't get your personality. You were always a quiet little thing," I said casually. Bella's look turned sharp, but I saw Edward's hand squeeze her shoulder as if in reassurance and her expression relaxed.

"She only gets this exuberant when she's excited. Or when she's playing with Emmett. I swear the two of them can shake the house down with their antics," Bella said quietly, a fond smile tugging her lips. I had the fleeting urge to ask her if she was being literal, but I curbed that idea.

"Actually, she reminds me a little of Alice. Bubbly and...bouncy," I said with a feigned wince. I grinned quickly so they knew I was joking. "Speaking of, what is Alice up to these days?"

"She and Jasper are on their way home for the holiday. They've been traveling a bit," Edward said. It was a perfectly vague answer, but I wasn't sure if that was his intent or not. I shrugged.

"On a quest to find the world's biggest mall, no doubt," I said drolly, knowing about Alice's love for shopping from hearing Bella groan about it on occasion. I heard Leia's musical laughter from the kitchen and wondered what Lizzy might have done that caused her mirth. I saw Bella roll her eyes and Edward chuckled.

"Been there, done that. Twice," Edward said with a snort. This time, my wince wasn't feigned. I could only imagine kind of all day shopping spree Alice could have in a giant mall. But it did make me think of another question, one that related to shopping in general.

"Lizzy said you've been shopping for a little girl named Molly? That Sarah is looking after? What's that about?" I asked curiously. It was David who answered me.

"Molly's parents passed away a few weeks ago and Sue, Emily and Sarah are taking turns looking after her until a permanent home can be found for her," he said. I felt a twinge of unease. This was rather big news but none of my Quileute friends had mentioned anything about it earlier. Especially at Sue's oversight. We were...dating. Kinda. Sue had told me that Harry wouldn't want her to sit around and grieve over him forever, but we'd agreed to keep things casual. We really had a lot in common and she was one of the few women I felt comfortable striking up a conversation with. And this seemed like the kind of thing she'd bring up in conversation. I racked my brain trying to remember if I knew a couple down on the rez with a daughter named Molly. I thought I knew pretty much everyone. The tribe wasn't very big.

"I'm sorry, did I know her parents?" I asked cautiously. David shook his head.

"No, no, you wouldn't have met them. Distant cousins of the Clearwaters," he said. I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. I was about to question him further when Leia came into the room with Lizzy in tow, sitting down beside me. Lizzy smiled up at me from her aunt's lap and I couldn't help but be distracted. Evidently Bella was right, because she seemed a lot calmer now that the initial introductions had taken place. She looked content just to sit quietly in Leia's lap.

"Charlie, I wanted to give you a verbal invite to our wedding next month," Leia said. I stared at her for a moment, then glanced over at Adam. He was leaned against the doorframe, looking at Leia and Lizzy with an adoring expression that made me feel like I was intruding on a private moment. I felt the urge to laugh hysterically, but I pushed it down. Mated for life, Charlie. Remember that and don't say anything stupid.

"Um, wedding? Wow, really? That's rather...no. Um, yes, well, I'll definitely be there," I managed to stutter out. Brilliant, Swan. You sound like an idiot. To cover my inability to speak in coherent sentences, I turned a fierce look on Adam. The look I usually gave to the rowdies I had to lock up overnight for drunk and disorderly most weekends. "I suppose Carlisle has already given you the 'Don't hurt her or they'll be hell to pay' speech?"

"Yessir," Adam said solemnly, turning his gaze on me. I gave him a short nod.

"Good, I'll skip to the congratulations then. Both of you," I said awkwardly, reaching over to pat Leia's knee. She beamed at me and then leaned up to kiss my cheek.

"Thank you Charlie. That means a lot to me."

After that, I glanced over at David and noticed the troubled expression he wore. I raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged and gave me a resigned smile. No, he wasn't jumping for joy about the wedding, but he was okay with it. I knew just how much the Quileute elders disliked the Cullens, or seemed to before some odd universal shift had them gathering together for dinner like old friends. It was a relief to see them trying to get along and I wondered idly how much Adam and Leia's relationship had to do with that change of attitude. Or even Edward and Bella's. I'd decide later if that was something I needed to know. For now, I wanted to just enjoy the evening with my family and friends.


	20. Chapter 20

"Oh, Leia, she's just so adorable. I hope Alice and Jasper find something soon. I can't bear the thought..." Sarah trailed off as she pulled Jake's truck into a parking space as far from the mall entrance as possible. We had decided to do some Christmas shopping for our families and for little Molly. Alice wasn't due home until the next day and I knew she would drag me back to the mall next week, but I really wanted to surprise her this year. Which was why Adam was tagging along. He didn't seem to mind, stating he wanted to spend time with his two best girls. Not to mention he wanted help with his own Christmas shopping. Edward had shown him exactly how well his stock portfolio was doing and he was feeling better about dipping into the family coffers to buy a few gifts.

"I know, Sarah. None of us can bear the thought. Carlisle is certain her growth rate is slowing down exponentially, but we don't know when or what will happen when it stops," I told her with a grimace. She nodded before stepping out of the car. I followed her and put out my hand for Adam. His large, warm palm met mine and sent a delicious shiver down my spine. I smiled up at him and he pulled me close for a brief kiss before he lead us inside.

Two hours later, Adam declared a need for food and dragged Sarah off to the food court. I didn't know if he suspected what I was planning, but after watching through his eyes as Sarah looked longingly at the high end kitchen appliances in one department store, I knew exactly what to get my sister-in-law and her husband for Christmas. Not that I wouldn't be finding her something that wasn't so practical too, but I literally skipped back into the store and found a salesman. They were having a sale - buy two appliances and get the third for 50% off. I loved sales.

"Mom, you need a new dishwasher more than I need a bed. Honestly, the futon is fine. Let's at least look." It was Angela Weber. From the sound of it, she was coming into the store with her mother. It would take them a few minutes to walk back to this department.

"Actually, could you do me a favor?" I asked the salesman. Through the reflection in my glasses, I saw what I thought might be a curious expression on his face. He had been a little nervous around me at first, naturally, but when I mentioned that I was legally blind it seemed to put him at ease. I usually hated pity from strangers, but if it counteracted the subconscious fear most humans had of my kind, I could deal with it just this once.

"I have a friend coming in soon with her mother. They need a new dishwasher, but I know they're a bit tight financially. Can I convince you to offer them a dishwasher for 50% off? Without letting them know it was part of my sale? Even if they don't buy it, I will," I said quietly. His reflected expression faded quickly from a surprised look into what I hoped was a considering one.

"Let me talk to my manager? Usually it has to be in the same transaction, but I think I can pull that off for you. That's really nice of you, too," he said with a grin. I relaxed with a return grin and he walked off to find his manager. I lounged against the counter, texting Adam to keep Sarah busy for another half hour. Just as I tucked my phone back in my purse, Angela rounded a corner and spotted me.

"Leia? Leia Cullen? Girl, what are you doing here? I thought you were all in Alaska," Angela said, hurrying over to me. She leaned in to hug me and I carefully returned her embrace. Her mother stayed several feet away from me, though. She didn't know me well enough to ignore her body's natural alarm system.

"I'm down with Adam, visiting his family for the holiday. How's college?" I asked casually, knowing she and Ben had both gone to the University of Washington on scholarship. We chatted about her first semester as her mother wandered around looking at the appliances. About the time she asked what I'd been up to for the last few months, the salesman came back.

"I checked on that model for you, Miss Cullen. The manager said it was okay. Would you like to check out now?" I nodded and Angela excused herself to go look around with her mother. I quickly paid for my fridge and range and gave the salesman a happy smile.

"Thank you so much. I'll hang around to make sure they buy something, in case I need to make good on my promise," I said quietly. The man nodded and then moved to intercept Mrs. Weber as I followed. I had heard her whisper to Angela that everything was too expensive just before the salesman mentioned two 'returned, boxes unopened' models they had on sale. I saw Mrs. Weber's eyes light up through Angela's vision when he said 50% off. Angela and I chatted for a few more minutes as the salesman convinced Mrs. Weber to buy the nicer model, since it was still within her budget at the discount. While she checked out, Angela and I made plans for a double date that weekend. I knew it might be the last time I was able to see her or Ben and I didn't want to turn down the opportunity.

After Angela left, I hurried back to the salesman and made sure everything was arranged for installation and delivery. When I realized that installation cost extra, I paid for both Sarah's and the Weber's to be done. A quick text later and I was headed to the children's store where Sarah and I planned to buy a few winter clothes for Molly. My phone rang about half way there and I pulled it out, recognizing the ring tone as my sister's.

"Hi Alice," I said brightly.

"That was an incredibly nice thing you did. Santa points for you, girl," she said brightly. I chuckled and dodged a group of giggling teenage girls.

"Thanks Alice. Surely that's not why you called?" I asked, curious. She giggled then and I realized how much I missed having her around. Just the sound of her laughter made my already cheerful mood even brighter.

"No, not really. So, what are you shopping for? Surely you aren't at the mall all alone," she said casually. I laughed.

"No, Adam and Sarah are with me. Just getting appliances for Sarah and Jake and some clothes for Molly," I said, just as casually.

"Uh huh. Sure you are. Oh well, I guess it will be nice to be surprised for once," she said with a sigh. I heard Jasper's voice in the background, asking if he needed to go shopping with a wolfy companion too. Alice growled at him and he laughed. I heard another voice then, feminine and heavily accented, ask what Jasper meant about a wolfy companion.

"Who is that with you, Alice?" I asked curiously. Alice paused for a split second, a hesitation that was barely noticable even for a vampire.

"One of Carlisle old acquaintances. He told you about the Amazons. Zafrina is visiting," she said. Maybe she was concerned since I knew from Carlisle's comments that the Amazons were not vegetarians like the Cullens and the Denali's. Before I could ask anything else about their visitors, she began to tell me about Zafrina's gift. She had the ability to project the image of her choosing over anyone's visual field.

"Kind of like reverse of what I can do? Interesting," I said thoughtfully. I paused outside the store I was headed into and Alice made her excuses. After she hung up, I realized we hadn't really discussed anything of importance. Maybe she had just called to pat me on the back for my act of kindness. I decided to get more involved in researching ways to use the family wealth in creative, charitable ways after the mess with the Volturi was settled. We donated to several charities and funded two foundations, but I liked the idea of random acts of kindness, ninja style.

The next day

"Are they here yet?" Lizzy asked for the fourth time in as many minutes, her tiny hands patting my knees as she looked up at me. I had just finished showing her one of the dances I had choreographed to some of her father's music. It had been a good distraction, but it was already forgotten in her excitement to see the rest of the family again. I chuckled softly as I pushed my senses out again, listening for the distinct sound of the Mercedes or the Jeep approaching.

"Not yet, Lizzy-bug," I told her, almost as disappointed as she was.

"Lizzy, come down here for a second. I want to show you something," Edward said from downstairs. Lizzy was off like a shot, her vision nearly a blur as she ran to her father, who was sitting at his piano downstairs. I heard her giggle as she launched herself at him. He caught her and pulled her into a snuggle that made Lizzy hum in contented pleasure. Adam came up behind me and pulled me into an embrace that caused much the same reaction in me. I turned in his arms and lifted my head for a kiss. He obliged and then swept me around the studio to the sound of Edward's music lilting through the house. I didn't even bother to lift my head from his chest when I announced that I finally heard the Jeep coming. I tracked Lizzy's squeal of delight onto the front lawn, where she stood with Edward and Bella. I heard Rose and Emmett emerge from the garage to stand with them.

"Do you want to go down too?" Adam asked as we swayed in the silence. I was about to shrug and say we could greet them once Lizzy had finished bombarding them with visions of what they missed during their time away, but something odd stopped me. Not two cars, but three turned up the drive. First the Jeep, then the Mercedes and then an unknown vehicle. And the oddest thing of all was the heartbeat I heard coming from the third car. A rather fast, thrumming beat.

"Edward!" I exclaimed in cautious excitement. The cars were well within his mental hearing range now and I knew he could confirm or deny my suspicions that our family had brought home a very welcome Thanksgiving surprise.

"Oh god, Bella. They found another hybrid," Edward said, his voice low and trembling with emotion. Rose's sigh of relief was almost lost under the sound of Bella's cry of joy and Emmett's whoop. Adam didn't even let go of me as he sprinted for the stairs. Instead he locked his arms around me and carried me down three flights and out the front door. We were all waiting as the three vehicles pulled to a stop in front of us. While Lizzy had eyes only for Carlisle, Esme, Alice and Jazz, the others seemed to be focused on the four strange, red-eyed female vampires and one brown-eyed male hybrid. I reached out to the closest vampire, Bella, so I could see through her eyes. Adam's vision was much clearer and crisper than a human's, but it still couldn't compare with a vampire's.

The three taller women had to be the Amazon trio Carlisle had mentioned knowing. I wondered why they had come since one of the few things Carlisle had mentioned about them was their connection to the rain forests they called home. But that question could wait. As could the identity of the smaller woman who stayed back, as if trying to hide behind the larger women and the...man. Okay, we really needed a name for him. I felt awkward just thinking of him as 'The Hybrid'. Bella watched as he took in the waiting vampires and Adam, only glancing once at Lizzy when she latched herself onto Esme with a happy smile.

"Surprise!" Carlisle said. It was rare sight for my angel doctor to wear such a broad grin. I could tell he was beyond pleased with this surprise and he had every reason to be. I had to switch back to Adam's vision when Bella's face was suddenly buried in Carlisle's shoulder when she threw herself at him for a hug. Edward followed suit with Alice. Then they switched off, with Jazz joking that he felt left out. Which, of course, caused Emmett to run at him in an attempt to grab him in a bear hug. The usual wrestling match ensued with shouts and laughter. I dragged Adam closer so I could snag Alice when Bella finally let go.

"Santa points, huh?" I said as I hugged my sister. She giggled.

"I figure this will grant me Christmas immunity for at least a decade," she said proudly. I snorted softly.

"As if you'd take it. Give it to Emmett. That way he might not give us any of the gifts he's been threatening to put under the tree," I told her wryly. Alice's laughter rang across the clearing.

"Not to worry. If he gives us anything that Bella and Edward would be embarrassed for Lizzy to see, he'll be in the doghouse for at least two weeks," Alice said. I heard Emmett's evil chuckle from where Jasper had him pinned against the side of the house. He couldn't struggle too much for fear of breaking the wall, which he would then have to fix before Esme's good humor over our important guests wore off.

"Don't worry, I can still gift you guys in private," he said. I sighed.

"If it wasn't Lizzy's first Christmas, Adam and I would leave for our honeymoon on Christmas Eve instead of waiting until New Years," I said in a grumpy tone that belied the smile on my face.

"Alright, can we please get on with the introductions and explanations before I explode?" Bella said, interrupting anymore chatter. Adam had yet to look away from the red-eyed vampires standing a few feet away. Come to think of it, he should be vibrating with the need to phase. I turned my head and angled my face up at him, stroking his arm.

"Alice called to warn me to expect not-so-vegetarian guests while you were playing Christmas elf at the mall last week," Adam said with a wry smile, anticipating my question. "She made me promise not to tell and she never mentioned their half vampire friend. I just thought it was some of Carlisle's old friends coming to visit."

That Alice had been so considerate of Adam's reaction to unexpected guests made me squeeze her again as Carlisle began introductions. I didn't need to look up anyway.

"Our Amazon friends some of you already know, are Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri," Carlisle said, each nodding solemnly in return. Their eyes were locked on Lizzy at the moment. "They helped us track down Nahuel and his aunt, Huilen. They agreed to come back with us to meet the rest of the family."

At the introduction, Nahuel stepped forward and gave an informal bow. He was not terribly tall and his build was lean, more like Edward than Emmett. His hair was shiny black and was braided back away from his beautiful face. If I had to judge, I'd say he looked to be in his early twenties, though I was well aware that could be misleading. His rich brown eyes were not locked on Lizzy, but on Bella.

"So it is true then," he said almost breathlessly, his voice clear and his accent faint. I wanted desparately to have a view of Edward's face at that moment, knowing it would reflect some clue as to what Nahuel was thinking. Why did he seem more interested in Bella than Lizzy? Did that mean he wasn't been burdened by the fear of being the only one of his kind? Did he know of others or was he just old enough that all the important questions had been answered? His heartbeat was just a hint slower than Lizzy's. Was that important? And what did Carlisle mean when he'd called Huilen his aunt? As the questions swirled in my mind, I knew everyone here was thinking along similar lines. It was probably a good thing Edward couldn't get a headache, because I'm sure we were all shouting.

"Let's head inside, shall we? I know there are a lot of questions to ask, but lets do things in an organized manner so we don't overwhelm our guests," Esme said cheerfully, moving toward the house with one of Lizzy's hands firmly in her own. Carlisle motioned the rest of us to follow them and we all trailed silently into the house. Everyone was settled in a matter of seconds. Most of the vampires just stood in a loose semicircle in front of the fireplace while Esme and Carlisle sat with Lizzy between them on the love seat. Adam dropped into one of the wing chairs and I settled in his lap, while Edward and Bella took a similar position on the couch with Nahuel perched on the other end, his eyes still firmly locked on Bella. After a split seond of complete silence, the cascade of sound as several people tried to speak at once was almost comical. So much for organized.

It was almost two hours later when the question and answer session began winding down. We now knew that Lizzy would be physically mature in a matter of years, seven or so if Nahuel and his sisters' growth rates held true. Nahuel was over 150 years old, so the worry that Lizzy would be a quick flash of brilliance in our lives was put to rest. Of course, Nahuel's father and his brutal breeding program had been discussed as well, but the subject had been shelved for the moment. It was also noted that Nahuel was venomous, since he'd turned his mother's sister mere moments after he'd torn his way out of his mother's stomach. It was that hideous, unfortunate act that had made Nahuel so obsessed with Bella. He couldn't believe she was alive (well, undead anyway), and I could tell by the tone of his voice during that conversation that it had been a life changing revelation to know that under different circumstances, his mother might not have died.

"Well, now that the happy news has been addressed, does anyone want to tell us why the Amazons all decided to leave the rainforest for a visit? No offense, but I know they wouldn't leave home without very good reason. And not even the novelty of a half vampire child would prod them all to leave, I don't think," Rosalie said during the first real lull in conversation. Lizzy was now sleeping peacefully in her mother's lap while we chatted and no doubt Rose thought it was a good time to bring up a surprisingly, for Rose, astute question. Then again, Edward had mentioned that she and Emmett had spent a year or so in the rainforest with the Amazons so Rose knew them better than the rest of the family. I knew that the answer to that question was both very important and very disturbing when Edward growled softly. I saw through Adam's eyes that Alice's expression was one of despair. I felt dread skitter up my spine.

"The Volturi are coming," I breathed softly, a guess that caused Adam's gaze to jerk to my face. He saw my horrified expression and when he looked back towards Alice, her resigned expression was confirmation of my guess.

"All of them, with a large group of witnesses. Evidently we plan to join with the Quileute wolves to wage war on all non-vegetarian vampires. At least that's the crap they're going to feed the witnesses. They plan to make an example of us and offer the Quileutes, and some of us, a 'subvert or die' offer. Evidently Aro thinks they'd make excellent guard dogs," Alice said darkly. It was Adam's turn to growl, the sound a steady low note over the vampire pitched confusion of babble that followed her words.

"Enough," Carlisle said after a few seconds. His firm tone succeeded in quelling the panicked voices in the room and I wrapped my arms around myself to keep from throwing them around Adam. In my current state of terror, I might crush his ribs by accident. He had no such worries, however, and he pulled me closer, tucking my head under his chin. He was starring at Edward and Bella, who both seemed to curl protectively around Lizzy.

"When, Alice?" Adam asked softly.

"Best I can figure, mid to late January. I can't see any of the fighting, because the wolves are always involved. At least in the scenarios that I can see a future for any of us that doesn't include service to the Volturi. I'm getting better at seeing around you, though, enough that I can suggest the best general course of action. We need to gather witnesses of our own, especially non-vegetarians. That's why Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri are here. They've agreed to be witnesses."


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Not mine.

AN: Just an apology for leaving you all hanging for so long. As you can probably tell, my Twilight muse has taken a long vacation. I promise to finish this up, but I've decided not to promise when, so at least I can't be court martial-ed for tardiness. Hehe...

Enjoy!

#

"I had nothing to do with it. Molly insisted on coming along when I mentioned Dr. Cullen would be here," Sarah said, looking down at Molly, who had hold of her hand in a rather fierce grip. It was Thanksgiving Day and David had invited my family to come over to visit this morning before the Talldeers went to the big Thanksgiving celebration at the community center. The house was full of the smells of Italian spices and crushed tomatoes. Evidently Sarah was making something for the party. Knowing the way the pack ate, no doubt every kitchen on the rez had something cooking away in it. There was an hint of nutmeg and cinnamon in the air as well. I'd venture to guess Sarah had been baking earlier. I grinned to myself, knowing she preferred to come back to her old home to cook. That would change by Saturday, since that was the day her new range and refrigerator were being delivered.

"Wanted to come see our angel doctor, did you?" I asked Molly quietly. The girl nodded solemnly, her eyes darting around to take in fact that there were more vampires here than just me and dad. Edward, Bella, Lizzy, mom and dad had all come with us. Alice, Jazz, Rose and Emmett had opted to stay home. They didn't want to overwhelm David. Not to mention they were entertaining our guests. Despite our joy at having Nahuel and Huilen there to ease our fears about Lizzy's development, the main reason they had come to North America (aside from Nahuel's burning curiosity about Bella's survival of Lizzy's birth) was sobering.

We had all agreed to enjoy Thanksgiving before we began serious plans for our confrontation with the Volturi. Adam and I were also debating whether or not to postpone the wedding. I didn't think we would, truth be told. We wanted a simple ceremony anyway, so it wouldn't require the crazy amount of time and effort that Edward and Bella's wedding had cost - much to Alice's chagrin. The only thing I did know was that we wouldn't be getting married at home. There were too many vampires staying with us to make the Quileutes comfortable and I was willing to get married in the high school gym if more of Adam's Quileute friends and family would attend. We were lobbying for First Beach, but Jacob was still working on that one. Truce or no truce, the majority of the tribe still wasn't comfortable around us. It was hard to break centuries of prejudice in only a few weeks.

After much discussion, it was decided that it was too dangerous to inform the whole tribe of the coming storm. Most wouldn't believe it, anyway, according to Alice. That didn't mean we weren't going to take strides to ensure their survival. Now that Alice had confirmed the Volturi were coming, the elders had been quietly speaking with various members of the tribe. Those that had family in other parts of the country were being encouraged to arrange for extended holiday visits. Adam and I had also put our heads together to create a foundation that funded educational field trips for small, struggling schools. Nearly half the children of La Push Elementary School, along with their teachers and families, were visiting Washington D.C. for a week in late January. Alice couldn't be exactly sure of the exact date when the Volturi were coming, but she was fairly certain it would fall within that week. She knew there would be snow on the ground during the confrontation and she was spot on predicting the weather.

"Come here, child," Esme said, addressing Molly from where she sat on the loveseat next to Carlisle. Her voice was soft and her smile was warm. If I hadn't seen her menacing glare through each of my brother's eyes at one point or another (usually Emmett after he broke something), I wouldn't believe my mother possessed an ounce of vampire instinct. It was evident how much she cared for anyone she deemed worthy of her loving attention, and Molly must have sensed that. She approached Esme with very little hesitation and within moments was ensconced between Carlisle and Esme with a content expression on her small face.

"Hi, Molly. I'm Lizzy Cullen! Can we be friends?" Now that Molly seemed to be comfortable, Edward finally allowed Lizzy to approach her. She bounced in front of the couch, little bronze curls bobbing in rhythm. I grinned as Molly's eyes widened slightly. Lizzy had wanted to meet Molly desperately but we hadn't gotten around to scheduling a play date for the girls. We hadn't been sure how Molly would react to Lizzy. Granted she wasn't a vampire, but even a child as young as Molly could tell there was something different about my niece.

_'So like Auntie Alice'_, I thought at Edward. I heard his quiet snort and then his quiet verbal response. All eyes were on Molly and Lizzy so he couldn't sign.

"More like her Auntie Leia. Though I suppose some of your tendency to physical exuberance is a product of the time you've spent with Alice, too," he said with a chuckle. I giggled softly as Edward explained his comment to Bella. I watched as Molly cautiously nodded at Lizzy and then flinched when Lizzy clapped her hands in delight. Lizzy noticed, of course and she immediately clasped her hands behind her back and calmly began asking Molly simple questions about things she liked to do. I sensed Sarah's retreat back to the kitchen, obviously satisfied that Molly was in good hands for now. I followed her after giving Adam a quick kiss.

"Charlie has been asking questions about Molly," Sarah told me quietly from in front of the stove. She was stirring something tomato based and a large silver pot steamed over the back burner. Pasta, I assumed.

"Edward said he might. He has connections with social services and wants to help. The fact that Sue isn't talking is driving him crazy," I said wryly before gesturing around the kitchen. "Can I help _you_ with something?"

"Can you?" Sarah asked curiously. I grinned.

"I can be more of hindrance than a help with some things, but I'm not completely helpless in the kitchen. I can slice and dice like a pro," I said, reaching over to pick up a knife from the cutting board by the sink that Sarah had glanced at a few seconds ago. Sarah put me to work dicing potatoes. It would have taken me about a minute at vampire speed, but I slowed my movements down so I would have something to do while we talked.

"We may just have to tell Charlie its part of the 'Need to Know' umbrella. I think he's smart enough to let it go," Sarah said with a shrug after we had discussed the pros and cons of telling Charlie more about Molly. I hmmed softly and nodded.

"He is. If he can keep from asking questions about Lizzy, he shouldn't have a problem keeping a lid on his curiosity about Molly. Even if Sue decides to rope him into babysitting," I said with a chuckle. Sarah dropped a lid on her sauce pan and leaned back against the counter, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"That might actually be the best idea for a playdate for the girls. Charlie's house is neutral and Molly hasn't been there before. It will do her good to get off the rez sometimes, even if we can't just waltz her into town. We would have to let Charlie know something, though. I can just imagine the fallout if he catches sight of a missing persons report for Molly or her parents. I don't think he'll let it go," she said. I grimaced.

"No, not until he knew what really happened to her parents," I said, knowing Charlie's compassionate nature wouldn't let him rest until he knew if the girl's parents were alive.

"I guess you can just talk to Alice and she can tell you what's best to tell him?" Sarah asked hesitantly. I nodded.

"That'd be the best course of action, I suppose. It will give her something to do besides agonize over the Multiple Futures of Doom, as Adam's taken to calling them," I said with a humorless smile. Sarah wrinkled her nose.

"That can't be healthy. Can't she just focus on your wedding? That should make her happy, right?" Sarah asked brightly. I snorted softly.

"Since we are planning to invite the pack, she can't see anything past me stepping out of the car at the studio," I told her with a dramatic sigh. Alice was still dropping not so subtle hints about things she wanted to help out with for the wedding. So far I had given her free reign with the decorations for the ballet studio but nothing else. Adam and I had originally wanted to keep things small and informal. Small was a given because of the size of the studio, but Alice's idea of informal was over-the-top Winter Wonderland. Complete with fully decorated Christmas trees, fake snow and antique crystal icicles from Tiffany's. Since everything but the actual trees and the snow were coming out of the Cullen and Talldeer family stores, Adam and I had relented. It was a Christmas wedding after all.

"Ah. Well, that might be a blessing in disguise. I think it will make things more special for everyone if you aren't nitpicking every detail due to psychic intervention. Oh, remind me before you leave and I'll run out to Dad's shop and get those boxes of ornaments for you. I think dad wanted to talk to Alice about some carved pieces for the studio as well," Sarah said and I nodded enthusiastically. I wanted Adam's family to have a big part in our wedding. Family meant so much to both of us. Adam came into the kitchen then and he helped me put all the potatoes in a large pot of water before lifting it onto the stove.

"What's this I hear about you catering the reception?" I asked as I washed the starchy residue from my hands. I turned my head towards Sarah and raised an eyebrow over my mirrored glasses. Adam stepped up behind me at the sink and handed me a towel before glancing at his sister. She wore a determined expression.

"Emily, Sue and I just wanted to bring a few things to keep the boys out of trouble. You know how they eat. I don't think there's enough cake and dinner mints in Washington State to satisfy those bottomless pits."

"In other words, you hope they'll be too busy stuffing their faces to taunt us," Adam said, his tone resigned as he pulled me towards the small breakfast table. He sat down and pulled me into his lap. I leaned into him and pressed my cool face into the crook of his neck. He stroked my hair, threading his fingers through the strands. He watched as Sarah's face melted into a fond smile as she watched us. She came over and settled in the seat next to us.

"I know things are better, Adam, but just because you've decided to work together and rework the treaty doesn't mean there isn't still some resentment there. Even some downright hostility in some cases," Sarah said in frustration.

"Trust me, Sarah, I'm well aware of it. Jake is strong enough to keep the pack in line. Besides, just because we've technically invited the entire pack doesn't mean I want all of them there. Jake and I will be talking with the ones we think actually want to be there. The rest of them either don't want to be there or they don't know me well enough to care. Most of the new kids have never met me, in person or in pack mind. I don't phase unless I have to these days," Adam said quietly. I reached over and touched Sarah's shoulder without moving my cheek from Adam's warmth.

"Not that we wouldn't appreciate having food for the humans, but we don't want you spending the day cooking. I want my new sister with us during the celebration, not off plating wolf chow. Honestly, if we weren't so determined to keep the wedding small, I'd have asked you to be a bridesmaid," I said truthfully. Adam pulled me closer as he watched Sarah's eyes fill up with happy tears.

"Really?" she gasped. I nodded and began to respond when Bella chimed in from the living room, laughing.

"She can have my spot!"

"Not on your life, sister!" I shot back, turning my head towards the living room. I saw Sarah's expression turn to confusion and Adam chuckled.

"That was for Bella, Sar. She was offering her spot in the wedding party," Adam clarified. Sarah shook her head with a wide smile.

"That's okay. I'm just happy I won't have to spend the whole wedding plating, what was it? Wolf chow!" Sarah's watery smile was followed by a hug that enveloped both Adam and I.

Four weeks later

"I thought we agreed to no wolf chow," I said with, raising an eyebrow in Bella's direction. I could smell the earthy odor of cooked vegetables and the richer smell of cooked meat - a stew perhaps. I also detected hints of baked bread. Having a human for a mate gave me a good grasp on identifying what he was having for dinner. It also helped that I'd been over at Sarah's helping her cook several times over the last month. She had insisted that I help her break in her new kitchen as punishment for getting her such an extravagant gift. I was secretly thrilled. I'd been learning how to make all of Adam's favorite meals.

"Its just some crock-pots of stew and bread. Nothing fancy and nothing that has to be supervised," Bella said with a smile. She was smoothing her hands over the long, pale green silk gloves that covered my arms beneath the pleated chiffon of my small cap sleeves. My dress was a simple affair of white pleated chiffon with square neckline, an empire waist bodice and a two inch satin sash with modest bead-work done in green turquoise and silver. The soft material fell like a frothy waterfall to the floor beneath the sash, swishing around my legs as I swayed back and forth to the music I heard coming from the main studio. I wore a pair of simple ballet flats in a perfect pale green to match the gloves. The weight of my betrothal necklace was heavy and comforting against my neck and I found myself reaching up to touch it often, lightly fingering the tiny platinum shells with a joyful smile.

"Okay, fine. But if I catch you or Sarah cleaning up after those boys, I will chuck it all out into the parking lot," I told her with my best menacing glare. Bella just chuckled and I harrumphed dramatically before I smiled and began bouncing on my toes when I heard Dad tell Esme he was coming to get me. In the background, I heard Adam ask Jacob for the third time if he had the ring. I had not seen my beloved for two days so the sound of his voice made me impatient to get the ceremony started.

"And of course you're not at all nervous," Bella said in a wry tone that made me flash her a grin.

"You know me, Bells. I've never been the shy type. Besides, this is something I want to do with all my heart and soul," I told her cheerfully. Bella laughed softly and hugged me.

"You and Adam are so perfect for each other. He said the same thing to Edward this morning," she told me and I couldn't keep the silly grin off my face as I hugged my best friend with all my strength. It was so wonderful to be able to do that now. She returned the hug gingerly, murmuring that she didn't want to tear a hole in my dress. She was still unsure of her strength. As we stepped apart, the door opened and Dad entered with Alice on his heels.

"My girl, you are so very beautiful," Carlisle breathed, his voice soft and warm as stood in front of me. I heard pride and just a hint of sadness in his voice. I didn't hesitate to throw my arms around him and he held me tight for several moments, his slender fingers coming up to stroke my hair briefly. The urge to weep surged inside me and I was torn between wishing I could cry onto his shoulder and sending up a grateful prayer that I could not shed tears. Alice would never let either of us out of the room with tear stains on our faces or our clothes.

"Ah, you two are going to need two songs at the reception," Alice said absently and I raised my head to smile at her over Dad's shoulder.

"I would like that," I told her and Dad squeezed me one more time before he released me and took a huge, unnecessary breath.

"So would I, my girl," he said gently and then turned towards Alice. "Alright, you can pin me now."

Bella chuckled as we both realized that Alice had known to wait to pin the small cascade of tiny white and green orchids, a miniature version of my bouquet, to Carlisle's lapel. She did so deftly and then sighed.

"At least they will survive the ceremony. The reception will be a disaster, but the crushed flowers will help mask the doggy smell," she said wryly. I did not take offense. Both she and Rose had been remarkably quiet about the presence of so many Quileutes packed into the small studio space. The same could not be said for some of the pack regarding the vampires, but at least the comments were made in jest. Mostly.

"I am not going to complain about a few crushed flowers. As long as my bouquet survives, I'll be happy," I said as I bounced on my tiptoes. Carlisle tucked my hand around his arm and Alice reached up to adjust the simple circlet of orchids that I wore in my hair. I had opted not to have a veil.

"Alright Bella, time for you and I to go out. Carlisle, just wait for Edward to start playing Leia's Grace and then you can come," Alice said before leaning up to kiss my cheek. "I hope you and Adam as happy together as Jazz and I are, sister."

"Thank you, Alice," I said sincerely. That was a precious sentiment from the psychic vampire who couldn't see our future. I caught her hand and drew it against my cheek briefly before I let her go. I heard her happy laughter as she drew Bella out into the studio and I hugged Dad's arm against my side.

"Today is perfect," I said quietly.

"I certainly hope so, my girl. I suppose I am one of the luckiest fathers in the world, giving away my daughter to the man she loves without the worry of losing her after the honeymoon," Carlisle said softly, his cheek resting on my hair. I smiled.

"I'm sure there will be times when Adam and I need to go off alone, but I will always come home to you and mom," I told him. "Besides, I know you and mom could use the vacation from all us kids every once in a while."

"Not as much as you'd think, my girl. I spent centuries alone, Leia. Centuries. Having a family, people I trust and love, is more than I could have ever hoped for in this life. And your mother, well, I have always believed her gift was her nurturing spirit. We need each other, yes, but she needs others around to care for. It makes her whole."

"Then I suppose it's a good thing there are so many of us to look after," I said, reaching up to touch his face. I felt the smile curve his mouth and leaned against him for a moment, until I heard the break in the music and knew it was almost time. I stood up and tried my best to resist the urge to bounce on my toes in anticipation. Dad could not doubt sense my eager anticipation because he chuckled and moved to the door separating me from my groom.

"I think we might have to reevaluate our high school strategy, however. Sending six children into a new school system raises enough eyebrows. I think nine might be a little too ostentatious " Dad said absently as he drew me out into the common area between studios. I heard the murmurs as some of those sitting at the back of the main studio obviously spotted us. Edward chose that moment to begin playing _Leia's Grace_ and all thought, even in my supercomputer of a vampire brain, focused on the man waiting for me at the end of the short walk ahead of us.

I picked Adam's heartbeat out of the crowd with no trouble, being so attuned to it. It was thudding almost painfully and I knew he was as excited as I was. I had resisted the urge to seek him out visually until now, wanting our first sight of each other in two days to happen as I walked down the green carpet littered with white flower petals that had been strewn by Lizzy. The moment I felt the crush of flowers under my feet, I let myself see through my father's eyes.

Dad took a moment before we got past the back row of chairs to sweep the room with his gaze, letting me see everyone and everything briefly before he focused his attention on the wedding party. It was just Bella, Lizzy, Adam and Jacob. I had fully expected Adam to be dressed in traditional Quileute ceremonial clothing, which usually tended to be black trimmed in red. I had made Alice promise not to say anything to Adam about his choice of wedding garb, knowing he wanted honor his tribe in our ceremony in some way. I had given him my blessing to wear whatever he chose and he had seemed excited by the prospect, though he had not answered my questions about what exactly he would be wearing.

My fiance wore loose buckskin pants so pale they would look white to the human eye and mocassins in a matched shade with bead-work similar to what was on my sash. He wore a pale green shirt under the heavy vest his wore, beaded so intricately I might have mistaken it for part of one of his fancy dance costumes if the pattern wasn't so obviously based on the design of my betrothal necklace and bracelet. I marveled for a moment, knowing he had probably done the work himself. I realized that the project he had been working for months, the one I had assumed was for me since he refused to show it to me, must was been this work of art. He also wore two beaded eagle feathers in his chin length, ebony hair.

Adam's pale clothes set off his beautifully tanned skin to perfection and his brown eyes were shining with love and excitement. His smile shifted from a wide grin to a tender smile as he watched me move down the aisle towards him. At that moment, I cursed the tempo of Leia's Grace for being too slow. I decided that two days away from my beloved was too long, wedding traditions or not. Granted it did make this moment all the sweeter, but I wanted nothing more than to leap the remaining eight feet between us to get to him faster.

AdamPOV

As I watched Leia walk towards me looking like some enchanting fey creature out of a fairy tale, I marveled at just how much I had wanted this day to come. If you had asked me a year ago if marriage was on my top ten list of things to do before I turned twenty, I would have laughed. I suppose I might be more of a romantic than some of my peers, but my dreams were more along the lines of graduating high school, writing my own novel and going to school to study dance. I figured I'd date a few girls until I found the right one and settle down once I had the promise of a steady income. My dreams started changing one quiet afternoon in this very studio when I realized Leia Cullen was the right one for me.

When I phased for the first time, once I got past the initial gut wrenching fear and that split second of excitement, I realized just how much the pack as a whole despised vampires. I was devastated to learn that, though the tribe had a treaty with the Cullens, our pack alpha hated them to the point of irrationality and that influenced the rest of the pack. Fighting against that mindset had been a constant battle in a war I honestly had not expected to win. Not until the day I had Imprinted on Leia. They had eventually been forced to admit my Imprint was genuine and as such, allowed me the freedom to pursue a relationship with Leia.

Watching Leia as closely as I was, I could tell she was practically vibrating with the need to move faster than the music dictated. I felt that vibration as well, but the deep need to run to her side was constant for me. The only thing that eased it was having her in my arms. The ache of not being with her for two days had eased minutely when I had heard the timbre of her voice earlier, but it had smoothed out into a tingle of anticipation when I had seen her at the end of the makeshift aisle. When Carlisle finally stepped up and put her hand in mine, I felt an immediate sense of peace.

"I love you," Leia murmured softly as she gently squeezed my fingers. Her face was turned up and I could see her beautiful golden irises framed by thick lashes. It made no difference to me that those eyes never really focused. I had not asked her to leave them off today, knowing she would want to see my face, but she had done so anyway. She knew how much I loved seeing her eyes. I reached up and brushed my thumb under her eyes in a tender gesture to let her know how much I appreciated her sacrifice on today of all days.

"And I love you," I told her before looking back at Carlisle. "Thank you, Carlisle."

"Thank you for cherishing her as much as her mother and I do," Carlisle said sincerely and I nodded. The patriarch of the Cullen family stepped back then, my cue to turn my bride and myself towards Billy Black. As chief of the Quileute Tribe, he had the authority to marry us and honestly, any other minister or even a Justice of the Peace would have been hard put not to ask questions about the couple they were about to marry. Leia didn't look a day over sixteen, especially without her glasses. We could have asked Reverend Weber, but Alice had advised against telling any of Leia's Forks High friends about the wedding. Leia had been disappointed that just asking Angela and Ben, at the very least, would have caused some dangerous gossip around town. I still didn't know how Alice had managed to keep the owner of the studio, a notorious gossip, from learning the real nature of the event taking place tonight.

Leia turned ever so slightly away from me for a moment and handed her bouquet to Bella. Instead of stepping back once she had the pretty cascade of orchids in hand, I expected Bella to step back next to Lizzy. I was surprised when she actually stepped closer, one hand sliding up to rest on Leia's shoulder. When Leia turned back to me, Bella was standing so she could see over her shoulder, looking right at me. I actually had to blink back tears as I realized Bella was going to be Leia's eyes. We wouldn't be able to look directly into one another's eyes, but it would be close enough. I heard a confused murmur from a few of the guests. Not everyone here knew about Leia's gift. I looked at Bella and gave her brilliant grin and a wink. I saw both Bella and Leia smirk faintly and wriggled my eyebrows before glancing down at Billy. He had one eyebrow raised in query and I nodded.

"Well, let's get this started then. Adam and Leia have come before this gathering of family and friends so that we might be witnesses as they celebrate their commitment to one another by joining their lives in marriage. Their love has been tested and they have used those trials to strengthen their relationship. I have never known two of God's children to be so completely different and yet share so many of same thoughts and dreams.

"I have known Adam since birth and he is like a son to me. When he asked me to do their wedding, I must admit I was torn. I was unsure about his bride, mostly because of some life-long misconceptions about her family. Over the last few weeks, I have made it my duty to get to know her better and I am still shocked to realize how perfect she is for Adam. I believe the two of them are true soul mates," Billy said gruffly, obviously emotional. I had been surprised when Billy told me he would marry us only if we would agree to spend some time with him. Maybe it was Dad's influence or maybe it was Jacob's, but he had come into our times together with an open mind. I was not surprised when Leia managed to charm him.

"That being said, I can only hope they find the same kind of happiness as both their parents have shared. I know that Anna Talldeer would have been proud to welcome Leia as her daughter," Billy said, looking straight at me when he said that. I gave him a wobbly smile and then glanced at my dad on the front row of chairs. He had tears in his eyes and Sarah, sitting next to him, was openly weeping. If this kept up, I'd be bawling like a baby before before we even got to the vows. I looked back at Leia and let her beautiful face center me like nothing else could. She had an expression of delight on her face, no doubt thrilled by Billy's words.

"Leia and Adam will now make an exchange of gifts and recite they vows they have prepared for one another. Adam, if you would begin," Billy said then, gesturing to the two carved wooden boxes on his lap. Each box was similar in design, carved with tribal totems for my family and my pack, the deer and the wolf. On the long, thin box, there was an elegant letter 'C' carved between the two animals to represent Leia's family. I had to bite back a laugh when I took a closer look at the carved letter because I was fairly certain Jacob, who had volunteered to make the boxes, had added little fangs to the agreed upon design. Billy opened the hinged lid and I lifted out Leia's gift.

"I, Adam Talldeer, give you, Leia Cullen, this token of my love and respect. Please accept this feather as a symbol of our equal partnership. I honor your prowess as a warrior and stand in awe of your bravery in the face of challenges that would cause the strongest of your kind to quail in fear," I said proudly, reaching up to clip the beaded eagle feather in her hair behind her left ear. It was a match to the two I wore, one given to me for my part in the fight with Laurent and the second for my part in the battle with the newborns in the spring. She reached up with trembling fingers to skim the feather, her expressive face showing me just how much the gift meant to her. I cheated a bit, leaning in to brush a kiss over her ear, enjoying the way her breath hitched and ignoring the soft cat calls from some of the guests. Billy, however, cleared his throat to remind me I was not finished. I grinned and leaned back to recite my vows.

"I take you, beloved Leia, as my wife. I promise to cherish every moment we share and love you more every day. I will honor and respect you, by your side always to be your best friend, your vision, your confidant and your lover. I will be faithful to you in all things, keeping the desires of your heart first in my own. Even in the darkest times, I will remember that our love rivals every fantasy story ever written. You are my Evenstar, my eternal light, and my soul belongs to you."

LPOV

Adam's vows made me long for the ability to shed at least one tear to show him how much his words meant to me. In lieu of that, I prayed my own vows would assure him that he meant the world to me, as well. I had not known what to expect from Adam as a wedding token, but the feather now resting against my hair was more perfect than he could have guessed. I would never be a burden to him because he saw me as his partner, a strong half of an even stronger whole. Bella was still looking at Adam for me so I held my hand out to Billy, afraid to try and open Adam's box myself for fear of damaging the fragile wood. I felt the warm brush of the elder's fingers as he placed the stiff circle of hair on my palm.

"I, Leia Cullen, give to you, Adam Talldeer, this token of my eternal affection and commitment to you. Please accept this bracelet as a sign that my love for you is unchangeable and permanent It is also a match to the one you gave me, so this, too, is a sign of our equal partnership," I said, holding up my right arm so the bracelet of white wolf hair was visible not just to Adam but to the entire audience.

Using Bella's eyes as my guide, I gently fastened the bracelet around Adam's wrist. There were a few murmurs among the crowd, most of them approving. I did hear Emmett mutter that I should have made a collar instead and had to suppress the urge to grin. Not because of the insult to Adam, but because Emmett had just lost a bet. I had known he wouldn't be able to keep from making some flip comment about Adam's wolfy side on my wedding day. His barely audible curse after his statement told me he was aware of his slip. There would be one less present under the Christmas tree when Adam and I got home tomorrow, thank goodness. I wouldn't have to worry about opening an Emmett Special on Christmas morning.

"Thank you," Adam breathed as he traced his finger around the loose fitting band of hair. I had made the bracelet with Alice's help. I wasn't surprised she knew the technique. Alice didn't just study current fashion, she was a walking encyclopedia of historical fashion trends. Give her a specific year in history, from ancient to modern times, and she could whip up an outfit and appropriate accessories. Jewelry made with hair had evidently been popular in more than one period in history. It was not exactly popular among vampires, however, since our hair didn't grow back. Adam knew this, of course, and his gaze suddenly moved back up and Bella saw him looking intently at my hair. To distract him, I brought his wrist up and pressed a kiss against his skin just below the bracelet before I continued my vows.

"I take you, Adam, to be my beloved husband. I will honor and respect you, by your side always to be your best friend, your rock, your confidant and your lover. I promise the love I feel for you will never fade away, though I pray it will grow and change as we discover things about ourselves that we never imagined to be true. Loving you gives me purpose and direction, even when the rest of the world is screaming. Your heartbeat is the anchor for my soul and I will follow you always, from this eternity to the next."

After that, the rest of the ceremony seemed to fly. The exchanging of rings was fairly anticlimactic after our gifts, though I would treasure the band for always. They would no doubt outlast the feather in my hair and the jewelry we wore, but the memory of Adam's bold statement that he saw me as an equal would linger for eternity. When Billy announced us husband and wife, Adam wrapped his strong hands around my waist and lifted me, spinning me around to the sound of laughter, whistles and applause. Then he pulled me close and we shared our first kiss as husband and wife with the sound of his heart thundering in my ears like life giving music that drowned out everything but the two of us.


End file.
